A Progress Report on PSG Heading into October International Break

Even in his wildest dreams, Laurent Blanc would have been delighted if you offered the Paris Saint-Germain coach a five-point gap at the top of Ligue 1 going into the international break.

Sunday’s 2-1 win over Marseille was significant and historic for a couple of reasons, but it also cemented PSG’s excellent start to the season and puts them in a commanding position for the rest of the campaign.

Last year, at the very same stage, PSG had only won three out of nine league games and only managed to collect 15 points. In comparison, the champions have won seven out of nine games this season and have cast off a label of perennial slow starters.

Blanc would have dreaded starting the campaign away at Lille. Taking on Herve Renard’s new-look side threw up a lot of unknowns, and after playing with 10-men for around 60 minutes, the away side deserve credit for coming away with all three points.

Without new signing Angel Di Maria and the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the professional performance and 1-0 win looked ominous for the rest of the league.

Newly promoted Gazelec Ajaccio went to the Parc des Princes for the champion’s homecoming, and with their two rigid banks of four, they tried as hard as they could to hold them at arms-length.

Two goals in 21 minutes ended the minnows challenge, and PSG were able to enjoy a stroll in the Parc.

Another tough 1-0 away win, this time at 2012 champions Montpellier, was followed by the landmark result of the season so far. Facing their second consecutive away trip, against title challengers AS Monaco, it should have been a tough test for Blanc’s side—but it wasn’t even a contest.

Edinson Cavani opened his account for the season with two goals in the second half and Di Maria would make his debut, setting up Ezequiel Lavezzi for PSG’s third in the 3-0 win.

Monaco were supposed to be PSG’s biggest challengers this season, but the team from the capital were too good—without even being at their best.

September was a touch tougher. Two mistakes from Kevin Trapp helped Girondins de Bordeaux equalise twice and steal a point in a 2-2 draw away from home.

It then took a cameo off the bench from Cavani for PSG to win a point away against a Stade de Reims side that started the season very well. The visitors could have won all three points through Javier Pastore, but they would have been happy with the draw.

Breton side Guingamp then arrived in the French capital, but although they had won three-in-a-row, they left with their tails between their legs. Pastore gave the home side a first half lead with a nice low shot from outside the box.

Di Maria pounced on a rebound to make it two, and then Ibrahimovic opened his account for the season with seven minutes to go.

There was a fright the next week when they took on lowly Nantes at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Yacine Bammou’s first half header gave the home side a half-time lead.

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Yacine Bammou contre le PSG (1 but) pic.twitter.com/rhHHP10flq

— Football Marocain (@MaghribFootball) September 27, 2015"

For all their effort in the opening 45 minutes, Nantes didn’t have enough to hold off PSG’s second half advances, and two assists from Pastore helped the champions leave with a 4-1 victory.

Then to last weekend’s Le Classique meeting between PSG and Olympique de Marseille, with the home side looking to make it 10 games unbeaten against their fierce rivals.

PSG went a goal down through a Michy Batshuayi header, but Ibrahimovic would then win and convert two penalties—taking him to 110 goals for the club, overtaking the legendary Pauleta and making Zlatan the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Seven wins from nine league games, plus a 100 percent record in the Champions League, puts PSG in a perfect position ahead of the October international break.

As a squad, PSG look strong and as together as they ever have. The attack is growing with confidence and is even more dangerous with Di Maria slotting in on the right-flank—the Argentinian playmaker likes to cut inside to use his left-foot.

His superb creativity combined with the duo of Cavani and Ibrahimovic is easily their strongest trio. It will be interesting to see how often that trio plays in the league, with Champions League the obvious priority this campaign.

Lucas Moura needs to pick up his form after the break. The Brazilian is going to get limited opportunities and needs to capitalise on any chance he is given. Apart from his goal on the opening day, he has disappointed so far—this is an important few months for his career.

Pastore will play anywhere that Blanc wants him to, and the Argentina international will add another dimension to any system or formation. He is dangerous playing in a deeper role, turning PSG’s attack into a front four without compromising anything in the middle of the park.

The midfield is as strong as ever, with Blaise Matuidi starting the season very well—after observing his drive and energy, it shows the difference not playing in a World Cup over the summer has done to the player.

Marco Verratti has been as breathtaking as ever. He is so important to how PSG play, and after picking up his first yellow card of the season against Marseille, he may have finally solved his own disciplinary issues.

With Thiago Motta, Benjamin Stambouli and Adrien Rabiot, plus the versatility of Pastore, Blanc’s midfield is more than adequately covered to play in all competitions this season.

Defensively, the club has never looked stronger. There will always be questions over the partnership of Thiago Silva and David Luiz—more Luiz than Silva—but with the early form of Serge Aurier showing how great an addition he has been and both Maxwell and Layvin Kurzawa fighting to play at left-back, it gives the team such a solid base to build on.

Apart from his blip against Bordeaux, Trapp has done well and has settled nicely into Parisian life. He looks more than capable of being PSG’s No. 1—whether or not he is a significant upgrade on Salvatore Sirigu remains to be seen.

With a five-point lead just nine games into the season, it’s hard to see the champions failing to pick up their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title.

For PSG, their strength in winning the league is more about the challengers than their own ability. No team in the league is good enough to find the consistency needed to challenge the champions. This is why Blanc’s side can play at less than top gear and still pull away from the other 19 clubs.

Next up in the Champions League is a double header against Real Madrid. After those fixtures, we will have a much better idea of just how good this squad has become—and that is how this team will be judged this season.