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“The situation is both pleasing and irritating,” remarks Luis Enrique. The French club's coach has a complicated relationship with how his club's league matches play out. When PSG are involved, one team attacks and the other sits back. “I like attacking a low block,” he asserts. “I have the most experience with this tactical scenario. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Facing defensive teams isn’t really a choice for PSG; it is simply their reality, because of the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their quality typically shines through and the resistance is overcome with varying degrees of difficulty. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Game Dominance Yet Insufficient Output

The Parisians have maintained nearly three-quarters of possession in the French league so far this campaign. Against Nice on Saturday, they had 76.5% of the ball and made over 750 passes, against just 182 for Nice. At the interval, Vitinha had 90 contacts with the ball – just six fewer than the complete opposition side – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the whistle blew for the interval, Nice defender Juma Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had been the most dangerous.

This performance wasn't isolated. The Parisians had tied three out of four Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against their opponents, but were reliant on a last-minute Mayulu leveler to earn a draw. Although possessing 77% possession against Lorient in midweek, they managed just one goal and were ultimately held to a draw. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – after Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Forward Line Struggles

This stems from the particular attention that PSG garner, but also reflects a real issue. Their attackers are struggling. Their star forward's 29 strikes last season contributed to PSG's Ligue 1 and the Champions League; Bradley Barcola scored 14 goals in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 total goals; and Kvaratskhelia scored eight goals after his January move.

The forward claimed the golden ball and, while it is contestable that the French star is indeed the global standout, it is challenging to deny that he was not the outstanding individual of the last season. He's managed only five scores in 12 matches this season. He experienced a hamstring injury while on international duty in last month, which led to a blame game between PSG and the national squad that has seen the relationship between the two institutions decline. Dembélé missed around a month and a half of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Following the victory against Nice, he was seen clutching his hamstring. “It hurts so much,” he told club colleague.

Fitness Issues

Their manager says their star can play to face Bayern Munich this week in the continental tournament but, while he gets back up to speed, teammates must contribute. It won’t be Doué. The young attacker was also injured in the same month. He was recovering to his best when he was suffered another thigh injury, which is projected to sideline him until January. Kvaratskhelia is a massive asset to his team but he often saves his best performances for the crucial games in the continental competition; he is still without a goal in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight appearances and is in a fallow period. Something of a purple-patch forward, the scoring will surely resume, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

Their center forward found the match-winner against Nice but will he keep his place in the team?

This was the role handed to the Portuguese when he signed in last year. Their number nine achieved the landmark of 100 games for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in over 50% of those appearances. Recording 18 of his 38 goals after coming on as a substitute, he has clearly taken on the role of the “super-sub”, partly because of his lack of impact when picked, but mostly due to his boss's unwillingness to begin with a out-and-out forward. “What explains my bench scoring record? The simple reason is I'm substituted in more often than I begin games,” quipped Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With the goals drying up across the attacking unit, Ramos’ last-gasp winner has given his manager food for thought. Their number nine missed three chances before scoring his final and deciding the game, but the fact that PSG’s best chances fell to him is revealing. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were acquiring when they invested €65m. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is constantly prepared for every match, whether he starts or not,” said their coach. “Short cameos from the striker are quality minutes.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the bench specialist to play a leading part.

French League Outcomes

• Rennes 4-1 Strasbourg
• Lens 3-0 Lorient
• Lille 1-0 Angers
• Nantes 0-2 Metz
• Toulouse 0-0 Le Havre
• Brest 0-0 Lyon
• PSG 1-0 Nice
• Monaco 0-1 Paris FC
• Auxerre 0-1 Marseille

League Standings

Position	Team	Played	Goal Difference	Points
1	PSG	11	12	24
2	Marseille	11	14	22
3	Lens	11	7	22
4	Lille	11	10	20
5	Monaco	11	6	20
6	Lyon	11	4	20
7	Strasbourg	11	6	19
8	Nice	11	0	17
9	Toulouse	11	2	15
10	Rennes	11	1	15
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