Paris Saint-Germain: Full Report Card for Every Position for October
October has seen an upturn in Paris Saint-Germain’s fortunes. After a difficult September in which the French champions won just two of six matches in all competitions, Laurent Blanc’s men registered three victories in four domestic and European games in October.
Although the month picked up where September left off in the 1-1 draw at home with AS Monaco, the international break that followed the stalemate with Les Monegasques appeared to do PSG some good.
Since then, Les Parisiens have won all three of their matches, beating RC Lens 3-1 and Girondins de Bordeaux 3-0 in Ligue 1 as well as earning a narrow 1-0 away win at APOEL FC in the UEFA Champions League. Although theirs were not the most convincing of performances in both the Lens and APOEL successes, they got the job done.
"0 - PSG have lost none of their last 21 home league games following a European game (W15, D6). Pace.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 25, 2014"
As a result, PSG sit second in Ligue 1 and trail leaders and bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille by four points instead of seven. In Champions League Group F, the French giants remain one point ahead of Spanish giants Barcelona with seven points from a possible nine.
Here is a full report card for every position for the month of October.
Goalkeepers
1 of 9
Salvatore Sirigu
Two clean sheets out of four games is not bad, but Salvatore Sirigu can thank teammates David Luiz and Thiago Silva,who made key blocks against APOEL and Bordeaux, respectively, for keeping them that way.
The Italian was unlucky with both goals conceded against Monaco and Lens and could do little about either, particularly the latter. However, the Azzurri star is still not at the same commanding level that we have seen in recent seasons.
Grade: B
Nicolas Douchez
Substitute goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez has not featured at all yet for PSG this season. With no domestic cup games to play just yet, that will not be changing anytime soon.
Grade: N/A
Mike Maignan
Third-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan, like Douchez, has yet to feature in a single minute of first-team action this season. However, he played in PSG reserves’ 1-0 CFA defeat to Roye-Noyon recently and was replaced by Mory Diaw for the 2-2 draw away at Dieppe.
Grade: N/A
Right-Backs
2 of 9
Gregory van der Wiel
Dutch right-back Gregory van der Wiel played in all four of PSG’s matches in October but was sent off in the most recent clash with Bordeaux. Due to his straight red card, the 26-year-old will be missing for the FC Lorient, Marseille and FC Metz games.
Despite that dismissal, the Dutchman had maintained his decent level of performance and continues to keep Serge Aurier out of the team.
Grade: C+
Serge Aurier
Since his mistake in the 1-1 draw with Toulouse in September, Aurier has played little. This month, the Ivorian played an hour in the win over Bordeaux after Van der Wiel was sent off. Now he needs to be ready to step up in the absence of the Dutchman and prove that he has learned from his error against Toulouse.
Grade: C
Left-Backs
3 of 9
Maxwell
The ever-dependable Maxwell has played in all four games for PSG in October and has made a major contribution. The Brazilian scored a spectacular lobbed effort and assisted another goal in the win over Lens at the Stade de France while also helping his team to two clean sheets from four fixtures in all competitions.
Grade: A-
Lucas Digne
It has not been the best month for PSG’s Lucas Digne. Although the French international probably would have featured in some of the four games Blanc’s men played, he ended up appearing in none, while Maxwell took his chance to fully capitalise.
An ill-timed injury ruled him out of the Lens clash and confined him to the bench for the APOEL and Bordeaux games. Had he been fit, he might actually have started against Lens, but the final score would have been completely different without Maxwell’s massive contributions.
Grade: C-
Central Defenders
4 of 9
David Luiz
October was a very good month for David Luiz. Despite missing the Lens victory through injury sustained on international duty, he played a key role in the other three.
Although slightly at fault for Monaco’s equalising goal in the 1-1 draw, he cannot be held exclusively responsible; Zoumana Camara was at fault as much as the Brazilian was. However, Luiz was arguably the reason Les Parisiens came away from Cyprus with a clean sheet and also enjoyed an excellent performance in the Bordeaux shutout.
Grade: A-
Thiago Silva
The return from injury of captain Thiago Silva has coincided with a massive improvement in the PSG defence. The capital club are suddenly keeping clean sheets and looking far more organised. The APOEL and Bordeaux games have suggested that Silva and Luiz’s central-defensive partnership will be a source of future strength.
Grade: A-
Zoumana Camara
Like in September, veteran defender Camara found himself being used more often than he probably expected to be. The 35-year-old played in the Monaco and Lens games, and PSG failed to keep a clean sheet in either. Midfielder Thiago Motta dropped into central defence alongside him for the Lens clash, which was not the best combination.
Grade: C-
Marquinhos
Brazilian international Marquinhos did not feature at all in October because of a thigh injury that stopped his excellent start to the current season in its tracks. Up until that point, the 20-year-old had arguably been PSG’s best player this season.
Grade: N/A
Presnel Kimpembe
"100% - Presnel Kimpembe is the player who has attempted the most passes without missing one in Ligue 1 2014/15 (16/16). Newcomer.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 20, 2014"
Such was the extent of Blanc's central-defensive headache for the Lens clash that the tactician was forced to draft in reinforcements from PSG's youth academy. Although it would be unfair to grade him based on 14 minutes in a match that was as good as over, the 19-year-old handled himself quite well.
Grade: N/A
Central Midfielders
5 of 9
Marco Verratti
Marco Verratti is quickly taking over from teammate and central-midfield partner Motta as the team’s architect-in-chief. The pint-sized Italian played in all four of Les Parisiens’ October games and produced a string of good performances, despite a glaring miss in the Bordeaux match.
Verratti also avoided a booking against Les Girondins, meaning that he will not be suspended for “Le Classique” against Marseille in November.
Grade: A-
Blaise Matuidi
French international midfielder Blaise Matuidi is getting back to his best for PSG. The 27-year-old played in all four October games and even went on to captain France in their friendlies against Portugal and Armenia. Matuidi also assisted Ezequiel Lavezzi’s goal in the 3-0 win over Bordeaux.
Grade: B
Thiago Motta
Asked to play in central defence for the Lens match, Motta did what Blanc needed him to do and unfortunately deflected the opening goal past Sirigu. Aside from that, the Italian was as sound as he could have been expected to be alongside the ageing Camara and will have been grateful for the return to fitness of Silva and Luiz to ensure that it was only a one-off.
Despite that central-defensive appearance, Motta still struggled to recapture the same form he displayed last season in the other three games. The 32-year-old picked up a booking in the win over Bordeaux, meaning that he is now suspended for the Marseille game.
Grade: B-
Yohan Cabaye
French international Yohan Cabaye displayed the most marginal of improvements in October. The 28-year-old scored a goal in his only start against Lens but was otherwise disappointing. Question marks now shroud his future at the club, with his international role now seemingly under threat as well.
Grade: D+
Clement Chantome
Some supporters know Clement Chantome as “The Phantom,” and sightings of the French international near to the pitch are as rare as those of an apparition. The 27-year-old remained a spectral presence in October, only getting 28 minutes of the Lens clash and one minute of the APOEL Champions League encounter.
A measly 29 minutes is not enough game time for a player of Chantome’s talent.
Grade: D
Adrien Rabiot
Still banished to the reserves as his contract dispute rumbles on, Adrien Rabiot played in the reserves’ 1-0 loss to Roye-Noyon in CFA but has not been anywhere close to a first-team return yet.
Grade: N/A
Wingers
6 of 9
Lucas Moura
Arguably PSG’s player of the month for October, Lucas Moura chipped in with three goals. One against Monaco in the 1-1 draw at the start of the month and two in the recent 3-0 win over Bordeaux mean that he is now up to five for the season.
The Brazilian only managed that many goals over the entirety of last season, so October has been a major month of progress for the 22-year-old. Lucas also celebrated his rich run of form with a recall to the Brazilian national team under new coach Dunga.
Grade: A
Jean-Christophe Bahebeck
October was a mixed month for Jean-Christophe Bahebeck. It started well, with the talented 21-year-old coming off the bench to provide an assist in the draw with Monaco and making a lengthy 70-minute substitute appearance in the win over Lens after Matuidi went off injured.
However, Bahebeck was the main victim of Van der Wiel’s red card in the 3-0 win over Bordeaux, as he was the player sacrificed to bring on Aurier. In the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, it was a chance for Bahebeck to shine as part of the front three along with Lucas and Javier Pastore. He was unfairly deprived of that chance, and it might be some time before he gets another one like it.
Grade: B-
Ezequiel Lavezzi
Argentine international Ezequiel Lavezzi made his comeback from injury in the 3-0 win over Bordeaux, coming on for the final 25 minutes and looking lively. El Pocho added the third in that victory, providing a boost for Blanc, who has been lacking depth in attack recently.
Grade: C+
No. 10s
7 of 9
Javier Pastore
October has witnessed some of the best and the worst of Javier Pastore. With three good performances in the league and one poor one in Europe, the Argentine has still been one of PSG’s most important players and has retained his place in the national team for November’s friendlies.
Pastore’s contributions against Lens, where he played a key role in the buildup to Cabaye’s equaliser, and Bordeaux, where he was instrumental in creating the second penalty, were crucial. He was also outstanding in the draw with Monaco and can consider himself unlucky, individually speaking, not to have contributed to a win that night.
Grade: B+
Strikers
8 of 9
Edinson Cavani
Following his worst performance in a PSG shirt in the Monaco draw and subsequent absence from the Uruguayan national team friendlies, Edinson Cavani was under pressure to find the back of the net against Lens. He did so, scoring with a second-half penalty, but was then controversially sent off for performing his trademark celebration.
The ban meant he was suspended against Bordeaux, but El Matador restored some faith with a well-taken late winner away at APOEL to keep PSG top of their Champions league group. Although the South American’s overall performances have not been of the highest quality, he is finally scoring goals once again.
Grade: B-
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not featured at all in October, and there are major concerns over his fitness. A return in time for “Le Classique” against Marseille next month is possible, but his left-heel problem is proving a troublesome injury headache for all concerned.
Thankfully, in his absence in October, PSG have started to move away from their overreliance on him and are now winning matches again.
Grade: N/A
Coach
9 of 9
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc came into October under plenty of pressure due to Les Parisiens’ underwhelming domestic form. However, their 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League was enough to keep Le President in his job.
After three consecutive wins in October, including one in Europe that keeps the French giants ahead of Barcelona in Group F, the 48-year-old can breathe more easily.
Blanc overcame pressure following the Monaco draw and a defensive crisis to beat a determined Lens side, managed his squad well for the APOEL triumph and made light of Ibrahimovic's and Cavani’s absences to beat Bordeaux. All in all, the Frenchman fared well in October and has closed the gap on Marseille to four points ahead of “Le Classique” in November.
Grade: B+
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