Why PSG Can Cope Without Banned Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Monaco Double Header
Between now and Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League last-16 second-leg encounter with Chelsea in March, the defending French champions have three important domestic clashes to navigate.
First up is a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double header with AS Monaco, in the space of three days, before struggling RC Lens visit Parc des Princes four days before the clash with Jose Mourinho’s men in London.
As reported by the official Ligue 1 website, PSG’s star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss two of those three important fixtures because of a two-game suspension as a result of an incident involving the Swede and AS Saint-Etienne’s Romain Hamouma back in January.
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On top of that, as ESPN FC mention in their report of the sanction, the 33-year-old is also the subject of a conditional third match in that ban. This means the next time Ibrahimovic receives a yellow card; he will immediately receive a one-game suspension, thus making this punishment a complete three-match ban.
The sanction was merited.
It was a reckless and dangerous tackle, and the PSG star can consider himself fortunate that the Ligue de Football Professionnel’s (LFP) disciplinary committee did not opt to just give him the three-match ban immediately after the incident, as they probably should have once referee Ruddy Buquet’s additional report had been submitted.
However, the LFP instead opted to take this delayed action.
As a result, PSG will now be missing Ibrahimovic for both of their upcoming clashes with Monaco. On top of the Swede’s unavailability, Lucas Moura and Serge Aurier are expected to miss out, while Thiago Motta and Yohan Cabaye have also been struggling with fitness issues lately.
Both meetings with Les Monegasques are extremely important. After last weekend’s action, including a win for PSG and title rivals Olympique Lyonnais, Hubert Fournier’s men lead Les Parisiens by two points, and the capital club could enter this Sunday’s clash at Stade Louis II as many as five points behind.
Regardless of OL’s result on the Saturday, Laurent Blanc’s men must win in the principality to either eat up the gap between the pair, or at least keep the pressure up. For that, PSG will need their top players, but injuries and suspensions will deprive Le President of a number of stars.
Blanc will have to do without them, and Ibrahimovic is arguably the most crucial of those absentees to replace. Even though the Swede has not been at his brilliant best for the most part of this season, he is still contributing towards keeping PSG in this Ligue 1 title race.
Goals away at Saint-Etienne and Lyon, as well as in the home draw with Stade Malherbe Caen have helped his side to five points in Le Championnat since the start of 2015. Assists against Evian Thonon Gaillard and Toulouse FC have also played their part.
However, Ibrahimovic has also missed two games already this year, and PSG have coped both times without him. Those two matches, Girondins de Bordeaux and FC Nantes at home in the Coupe de France, have both produced good performances from Zlatan’s strike partner Edinson Cavani.
With the Uruguayan moving into his preferred central position to lead the Parisien attack in Monaco and then back in Paris, we are likely to see El Matador posing a greater threat to Leonardo Jardim’s side than he would have if Ibrahimovic was playing.
Cavani’s four goals in nine appearances so far in 2015 is not much to get excited about, but those statistics do not tell the whole story. The South American has looked more dangerous of late since Ibrahimovic started dropping much deeper than usual during games.
The space created by the Swede’s movement has given Cavani more room to exploit, and this has resulted in good displays like his recent one in the Champions League against Chelsea, where he scored PSG’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw. The 28-year-old was unlucky not to bag a second against the Blues, while he was also inches away from scoring a second half header against Toulouse.
The PSG No. 9 will be more confident and dangerous, as he always is, without Ibrahimovic alongside him. This means Blanc’s main concern will now be who plays behind or on either side of the Uruguayan.
Javier Pastore, provider of a sublime assist for Adrien Rabiot’s second goal in the 3-1 win over Toulouse last Saturday, can either play as part of a front three or as one of a midfield trio. The most important thing for PSG, either way, is that he is fit and able to play.
The Argentinian playmaker’s creativity and attacking thrust give the French capital outfit greater penetration in the final third, and he has been sorely missed during his recent injury absence. El Flaco’s ability to create chances for Cavani will enable Blanc’s team to cope without Ibrahimovic.
Motta could still return to the midfield, along with Marco Verratti, possibly meaning that Pastore will have to settle for a wide role. However, the South American would arguably best serve Cavani as a member of the midfield three, possibly in front of Verratti and alongside Blaise Matuidi.
Going with such a combination would mean that Blanc has no choice but to play Ezequiel Lavezzi and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck on either side of Cavani.
While El Pocho has put in a number of disinterested performances of late, the inclusion of Bahebeck could prove to be an inspired move. As the young Frenchman proved in his cameo appearance against Toulouse last week, providing the assist for Thiago Silva to head in PSG’s third goal, he is capable of offering more creatively than Lavezzi.
Bahebeck could feature as one of the PSG front three, but his inclusion from the start could also allow Blanc to take a different approach. The 21-year-old could enable Pastore to play in his preferred No. 10 role behind Cavani and Bahebeck, with a midfield three of Motta, Matuidi and Verratti backing him up.
This is a formation that PSG were beginning to enjoy some success with before Ibrahimovic returned from his heel injury. It is also a system that could help Blanc to cope without his team’s talismanic striker in this Monaco double header.
Despite the absence of Lucas Moura, PSG still have plenty of options going into this game and should not feel limited by Ibrahimovic’s unavailability. Instead, it is up to Blanc to find the most suitable formation to get the best out of Cavani so El Matador can lead the team past the principality outfit twice in a matter of days.
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