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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” says the team's head coach. The PSG boss has a complicated relationship with how his squad's league matches develop. Whenever the Parisians play, one team presses and the other protects. “I like attacking a low block,” he maintains. “It is the phase of play that I am most familiar with. 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.”

Accepting low blocks is unavoidable for PSG; it is simply their reality, due to the talent imbalance created by budget inequality. Their superior ability generally prevails and the low-block is unlocked with mixed ease. But it has been tougher this season.

Game Dominance However Insufficient Output

The Parisians have maintained over 72% ball control in the French league so far this season. Against Nice on Saturday, they had 76.5% of the ball and made over 750 passes, compared to just 182 for Nice. At the interval, Vitinha had 90 contacts with the ball – merely six short than the entire Nice team – but PSG struggled to make their domination tell. At halftime, Nice defender Juma Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by a PSG player, had nearly scored.

This performance wasn't isolated. They had shared points in three of their previous four Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against Strasbourg, but were dependent on a late Senny Mayulu equaliser to salvage a point. Although possessing 77% possession against their midweek opponents in midweek, they only scored once and were unable to win. Approximately 33% of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – behind multiple domestic rivals.

Forward Line Struggles

This stems from the unique approach that PSG receive, but also reflects a serious concern. Their forwards are not scoring. Their star forward's 29 goals last season aided in securing Ligue 1 and the European Cup; A young forward scored 14 occasions in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 in all competitions; and Their winter signing scored several times after his winter transfer.

The forward claimed the prestigious award and, while it is contestable that the French star is indeed the world's top footballer, it is difficult to argue that he was not the top performer of the previous term. He's recorded merely five strikes in 12 matches this season. He encountered a hamstring injury while on national team service in last month, which gave rise to a conflict between PSG and the national squad that has seen the relationship between the two institutions deteriorate. The player was absent for around several weeks of action as a result, but he appears below his best. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen touching his muscle. “It's very painful,” he told fellow player Hakimi.

Player Availability

The PSG coach says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the European competition but, while he gets back up to speed, squad members need to perform. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The young attacker was also sidelined in September. He was just getting back to his best when he was suffered another muscle issue, which is expected to rule him out until January. Their winger is a important contributor to his team but he often excels mainly for the crucial games in the Champions League; he is still without a goal in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s top scorer in all competitions this season, has just one score in his last eight games and is in a goal drought. A player who scores in bursts, the scoring will surely resume, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this costly PSG attack.

Gonçalo Ramos scored the winner against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

That was the job assigned to the Portuguese when he signed in recently. The international forward hit the century of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has started on the sidelines in the majority of those appearances. Recording 18 of his 38 goals after coming on as a substitute, he has effectively embraced the role of the “finisher”, partially due to his ineffectiveness when picked, but mostly due to his boss's unwillingness to field a conventional No 9. “What explains my bench scoring record? Basically because my appearances are mainly from the bench,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Decisive Period

With the goals drying up across the attacking unit, his late decisive goal has given his coach something to consider. The centre-forward was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before taking his fourth and deciding the game, but the fact that PSG’s best chances came to him is revealing. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were acquiring when they paid substantial money. “His role is vital for us because he is always ready for every match, even if he begins on the bench,” said their coach. “Even brief appearances from Gonçalo are quality minutes.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the impact substitute to play a starring role.

Ligue 1 Matches

• 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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