Why Edinson Cavani Is Under Most Pressure for PSG After Montpellier Game

With a 1-0 triumph in Montpellier on Friday marking their third win in as many games at the start of this new Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain have made their best start to a domestic campaign since 2005-06.

In addition to winning all three of their opening fixtures, Laurent Blanc’s men have also yet to concede a goal in what has been a surprisingly strong start for a team renowned for traditionally taking their time to find their form.

It has not been all positive news since the term started, though. Edinson Cavani’s return to his unprolific form of old will already be a concern for Le President.

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The Uruguayan played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 win away at Lille OSC, the 2-0 home victory over Gazelec Ajaccio and the 1-0 win away at Montpellier, and in each game, he has looked a shadow of the player who was scoring for fun at the end of last season.

A skied first-half effort from outside the area in Friday's win against La Paillade summed up his miserable start to the new term.

Looking at the bigger picture, El Matador has scored just once in his last 10 games—including pre-season matches—and that is a worry for PSG.

What is most concerning about Cavani’s slow start to the season is that, so far, the 28-year-old has played every game in the central-striking role that he craves so much, and he has not been able to make any sort of impact.

Much is made of the South American’s position on the pitch when strike partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also playing, but the Swede has missed the start of the Ligue 1 season with a knee injury, and that has meant that the PSG No. 9 has occupied his preferred central berth in every game.

Admittedly, Javier Pastore’s early exit with injury in the 1-0 win over Montpellier and Marco Verratti’s absence with a hip problem did not help Cavani at Stade de la Mosson on Friday.

However, the former Napoli hotshot cannot say the same about the Lille and Gazelec encounters, in which he had one or both players on the pitch at all times and still failed to find the back of the net.

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The simple fact of the matter is that Cavani has looked poor in each of the three outings, devoid of confidence and offering no threat on the opponent’s goal. The Uruguayan has worked hard, as he always does, but his most productive game against Gazelec still saw him spurn a number of good opportunities.

Cavani has completely failed to capitalise on Ibrahimovic’s absence, and now the talismanic striker is expected to return to action in the trip to face AS Monaco in the principality next week.

With Angel Di Maria also fit, in training and expected to play some part at Stade Louis II, should Cavani be worried about losing his regular starting role?

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Perhaps not yet, but now that PSG have Di Maria available and Ezequiel Lavezzi back to full match fitness, dropping Cavani is a possibility for Blanc—even if it remains an unlikely one.

The player is banned from representing Uruguay during the upcoming international break because of his harsh red card for two bookable offences in La Celeste’s Copa America exit to hosts and ultimate winners Chile this summer.

Cavani will have some time to take stock of his season so far and recharge his batteries. However, the pressure is already on him with Ibrahimovic and Di Maria’s returns to first-team action imminent.

If Cavani cannot address this early season malaise by the time Girondins de Bordeaux visit in early September—if not before—then El Matador could be in very real danger of being dropped until his form picks up again.