4 PSG Players with Much to Prove in 2015-16 Ligue 1 Season

The new Ligue 1 season is only two games old, and champions Paris Saint-Germain are already top of the pile after a 2-0 win over Gazelec Ajaccio at Parc des Princes last Sunday.

Laurent Blanc’s men have wasted no time in climbing to the top of Le Championnat, and currently, Les Parisiens look like they will be difficult for teams to stop domestically.

With trips to Montpellier HSC and AS Monaco coming up before the end of the month, PSG maintaining their winning start to the campaign into September would suggest that a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title is inevitable—even at this early stage.

However, despite their best start to a Ligue 1 season since 2005-06, there are a number of PSG players with plenty to prove this season.

Here are four players who are under pressure to impress in the French capital this term.

4. Benjamin Stambouli

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After his hot reception from the PSG supporters when he came on as a 75th-minute substitute against Gazelec, Benjamin Stambouli has a long way to go in order to win over his new fans.

Born in Marseille and raised an Olympique de Marseille supporter, the 25-year-old will not be forgiven easily for his ties to Les Parisiens’ bitter rivals.

However, he did not play for OM, so there should come a point in the future where he finally does enough to silence the majority of hecklers.

A resolute character, Stambouli has the personality to succeed in Paris and should eventually win over the doubters by doing his talking on the pitch.

3. Kevin Trapp

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Another summer signing, German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, has enjoyed a smooth start to the new season in the PSG goal.

However, after replacing popular net minder Salvatore Sirigu between the sticks at the start of this campaign, the 25-year-old is currently under scrutiny. It is up to the new PSG No. 16 to vindicate coach Laurent Blanc for choosing to bring him to Parc des Princes this summer.

Trapp has started well enough, and it is already clear that the former Eintracht Frankfurt man is stronger in the air than the Azzurri star and also with the ball at his feet.

Until the German really starts to catch the eye by making a number of meaningful contributions, though, Trapp will still have a point or two to prove this season.

2. Adrien Rabiot

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After a poor start to this season and an awkward last 12 months or so because of a messy contract dispute with PSG—which was eventually resolved—Adrien Rabiot has more to prove than most this season.

There is no question that the 20-year-old is a talented youngster and one of the best players to pass through the capital club’s youth academy in recent years. However, the French midfielder cannot live on potential forever and his antics—together with his mother and agent Veronique—have seen patience wear thin with the youngster over the past year or so.

Rabiot needs to knuckle down and prove a point on the pitch, but so far he is going the wrong way about it.

The PSG No. 25 was sent off for two bookable offences in the capital outfit’s opening game of the season, and luckily for him, Laurent Blanc’s men were able to recover from losing a man to win 1-0 at Lille OSC.

It is now time that Rabiot shows there is more to him than just potential and tantrums.

1. Angel Di Maria

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The PSG player with the most to prove by far this season is new boy Angel Di Maria.

Although the Argentina international himself does not have anything to prove to the footballing world thanks to a list of honours that speaks for itself, the manner of the 27-year-old’s Manchester United exit has raised a number of questions about him.

PSG paid big to land Di Maria for €63 million, and the French champions will be expecting to see an immediate return on that fee.

The former Real Madrid man is under pressure to help Les Parisiens to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League. In that respect, Di Maria has more to prove this season than anybody else currently at the club.

El Fideo also has to prove that he was worth PSG's lengthy pursuit and the trouble that they had to go through in order to secure his signature.

Once he is fully fit, all eyes will be on Di Maria at Parc des Princes and it will not take long for the knives to come out if he does not hit the ground running.