Why PSG's Lack of Movement Is the Biggest Issue After Saint-Etienne Game

For the second time in just 10 days, Paris Saint-Germain went to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard and came away with another 1-0 win over Saint-Etienne. On Sunday night, the end result was perfect, but the performance was far from convincing.

Laurent Blanc welcomed Zlatan Ibrahimovic back into the PSG attack, but for the majority of the game, the Parisians lacked movement or imagination.

Les Verts invited the away side to attack them at will, and despite keeping 69 percent possession of the ball, PSG failed to land a single shot on target in the first half.

As always, PSG set out in Blanc’s expected 4-3-3 formation, it is meant to be free-flowing and interchanging, but the display was night and day compared to their mid-week Coupe de France victory over Bordeaux on Wednesday.

It should be stressed that the end result is the most important statistic of the whole game. Ibrahimovic scored a second-half penalty to secure all three points. The penalty decision will be debated, but it won’t change the outcome.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

PSG did create chances after going a goal up, but you can say that Saint-Etienne had to throw caution to the wind and allowed PSG even more space to punish them. Edinson Cavani hit the crossbar and Ibrahimovic should have added at least one more from the excellent chances presented to him.

"

Great chance for PSG to get their second & sew up the game there. Ibrahimovic denied by a superb Baysse tackle. Wasteful from Zlatan.

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 25, 2015"

When the game was level, the away side noticeably struggled.

On Wednesday night, PSG played with more freedom and looked more creative than at any point on Sunday. Javier Pastore played in the midfield three but was allowed to drift. Up front, Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck all chopped and changed where they found space in the final third.

Against Saint-Etienne on Sunday, with Ibrahimovic beside Cavani and Lucas Moura, there was definitely less movement between the trio. Last season it worked fairly well. With Zlatan dropping deep, Cavani could come inside from right to left, ghosting in past defenders not paying full attention.

The full-backs were then allowed the space down the flanks to bomb forward and provide a threat from the wide areas. Marquinhos definitely improves the defence, but his contribution going forward isn’t as productive as what Gregory van der Wiel offers.

On the left, both Maxwell and Lucas Digne can play the role to perfection. It was the Frenchman who swung in the cross for Cavani’s opener against Bordeaux. The Brazilian may be getting on in years, but he has yet to let PSG down and can still get in behind any defence.

When sides sit back and defend and PSG can’t find space down the flanks, it all becomes too tired and predictable.

Blanc has so much talent at his disposal, but it feels like he could use it to much better effect.

Blanc doesn’t have to change formation, but it’s the players he uses that define whether or not it works and whether or not the movement can unlock stubborn defences.

WhoScored

This season, all too often, Ibrahimovic hasn’t been as effective as he was last season. He is still dropping deep, but he is not taking up the same dangerous positions he once was.

"

Barrios has been pilloried this season for scoring 6 goals. #Ibrahimovic only has 8 and has played nearly as many minutes... #PSG

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) January 25, 2015"

In order to create more chances and create more space in the final third, PSG need someone who can play between the lines, and there is little doubt that Pastore would be perfect in that role.

It would be harsh to say that Blanc is using square pegs in round holes, but it does feel like the PSG coach is bashing a few pieces in with a hammer. In Pastore’s case, sometimes he’s left out of the puzzle altogether.

Playing Pastore in between the lines would stop Ibrahimovic from having to drop deep as often as he does. Cavani could still drift wide right, coming in off the flank. Lucas is versatile enough to play all across the front line, giving the opposition more to think about.

It’s not the formation that is causing problems for Blanc’s team, the evidence points to a lack of movement caused by players deciding to take up positions detrimental to the team’s philosophy.

The PSG coach has the right men to do the job, he just needs to try putting the right shapes in the right holes.