Despite Drawing Against Angers, PSG's Dominance Too Much for Ligue 1 Challengers

Following Tuesday night's fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and SCO Angers, the majority of praise was rightly directed towards Stephane Moulin's team. They became the first Ligue 1 club in 26 attempts to stop the champions for scoring—winning a well-earned point against the league leaders.

The Stade Jean Bouin was in great voice as the men in black and white held off the Parisians' stars, and you would be hard-pushed to find someone who doesn't believe the home side deserved their point, including PSG Chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi, as he told the club's website after the game:

"

Winners and Losers from @sco_angers 0-0 @PSG_inside https://t.co/hqhSEyXWRh for @br_uk pic.twitter.com/fLqMBXq684

— Andrew Gibney (@Gibney_A) December 1, 2015"

"

Angers were very well organised, but I think Paris deserved a goal. Angers played very well. In the end, it's a point for Paris. Now we focus on our next match. We want to claim all three point every game we play, but sometimes it just isn't possible.

"

PSG's 14-point lead could be cut to 11 on Wednesday as SM Caen take on AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II, but Leonardo Jardim will be hoping his team can close in on the Champions League places.

Behind the joy of Angers stopping PSG from finding the net and ending their run of nine straight wins in Ligue 1 was a sense of inevitability.

"

This game has been really good though. Who would have though Angers-PSG would be a top game in Ligue 1? #SCOPSG #Ligue1

— Andreas Karlsson (@AndKarlsson) December 1, 2015"

Angers' performance was arguably the toughest domestic test PSG have faced so far this season. They were given a battering in the midfield, with Thiago Motta struggling to find time and space on the ball to dictate the pace of the game.

Man-mountain Cheikh N'Doye was quick to let the Italian international know he was there. Helped by Thomas Mangani and Romain Saiss, Angers won the battle in the middle of the park.

Laurent Blanc talked about the challenge his team faced against Angers, according to the official PSG website:

"

It really wasn't easy to play tonight. If you put ten opposition players in their own half of the field, if they are well organized and disciplined and pushed on by the home fans and are physically strong, I can tell you, it's not easy to score goals! We're always talking about Paris Saint-Germain, but this time an opponent managed to do exactly what they set out to do: defend well and have two or three good chances on the counter... well played!

"

Yet despite Angers giving PSG their hardest match of the campaign, the away side still only picked up a point. Blanc's side remain unbeaten, and after all the midweek games are played, they will still be over 10 points ahead of their closest competitor.

JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/Getty Images

The draw stopped PSG's nine-game winning streak, and for any team to even consider chasing the Parisians, they would need to go on a similar run. The sad truth is no other Ligue 1 club is good enough to challenge.

Montpellier are the only other current club on a winning run at the moment—with three straight victories. Over the last six fixtures, only six of the other 19 Ligue 1 clubs have won two consecutive games.

From second to 18th, everyone can beat everyone, making it impossible to challenge the dominance of PSG.

Fans in the capital may be filled with joy at that fact the league title is all but guaranteed, but there is still a worry that it could affect their Champions League chances.

To go from a situation where you cannot be challenged to then stepping up to take on Europe's best can become too big a gap to bridge. Complacency can set in, and it could lead to poor performances in games where they need to be at their best.

It then becomes up to the players and Blanc to make sure they play with the same intensity in the league that they will need to find in Europe. It is easier said than done, but that is the challenge that PSG need to overcome if they want to join Europe's elite.