PSG Have Star Quality but May Lack Depth for Champions League Glory Push

On September 15, Paris Saint-Germain begin their search for Champions League glory against Malmo at the Parc des Princes. On paper, the squad is packed with star quality, but despite the summer signings, they may still lack the strength in depth to push beyond that quarter-final barrier.

"This is very important for the club,” said new signing Angel Di Maria at his first press conference, via beIN Sports (h/t the Daily Mail).

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I also know that I want to overcome the obstacle that is the quarter-finals of the Champions League. I am going to try to bring the best of my abilities to put myself at the service of this team.

We are going to try and go as far as possible in the Champions League.

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Last season, PSG showed growth and added experience when they came from behind twice to beat Chelsea on away goals. Thiago Silva’s header levelled the score with six minutes of extra time remaining and saw the Ligue 1 champions advance on away goals.

In the quarter-finals, playing against the eventual champions, PSG’s squad depth was tested to the fullest, and it came up short. Barcelona were dominant in both legs and ran out 5-1 winners.

At the Parc des Princes, PSG were without Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti from the start, plus Silva had to be replaced by a less-than-fit David Luiz after 21 minutes. As a result, Barca won, 3-1.

Silva missed the return leg, but Ibrahimovic and Verratti were able to play. The damage was already done, though. It proved that when you get to the latter stages, you need to have everyone running at 100 percent to have a chance to compete with the top contenders.

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This season’s squad has undoubted star quality all over the pitch. With Serge Aurier in top form alongside Layvin Kurzawa and the experienced Maxwell—plus Silva and Luiz—the PSG defence looks as strong as it ever has.

However, replacing them with the likes of Gregory van der Wiel or Presnel Kimpembe could cause Laurent Blanc problems. Marquinhos is one of the best young defenders in the world, but he can't able to replace both Silva and Luiz.

Aurier has the ability to play at centre-back, and in Ligue 1, that won't be an issue. But if you put him up against Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi in the Champions League, PSG would be in a spot of trouble.

Injuries and suspensions are part and parcel of the modern game, especially when you are trying to compete in four separate competitions. Sometimes teams get lucky and everyone stays fit and squad strength never comes into question—but some of the key members of this squad are over 30 years old, and that’s when knocks and niggles take their toll.

To have any chance of success in this campaign, they will need to hope Ibrahimovic doesn’t suffer the same problems he did last year. If Cavani starts every game, then 18-year-old Jean-Kevin Augustin would be Zlatan’s back-up.

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Blanc does have options, pick three from Di Maria, Lucas Moura, Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Cavani, and you have a talented and mobile front line. But again, lose two of three, and you are scrambling for that same level of experience that the others bring.

On their day, Verratti, Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi comprise one of the best midfield trios in Europe. Adrien Rabiot and Benjamin Stambouli are both exciting and capable replacements, but they are still relative newcomers when it comes to the Champions League.

Stambouli made four appearances when Montpellier reached the group stage, and Rabiot has played 11 times, with only a handful of starts in the past three campaigns.

Some players rise to the occasion when placed in the limelight, but you have to question their ability to take on and dominate the midfields of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Blanc has an extremely talented squad at his disposal, but scratch below the surface and lose members of the spine and that semi-final barrier could remain impregnable this season.