Ranking PSG's Top 5 Players for November 2015
November started in disappointing fashion for Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 defeat away at Real Madrid in Group A of the UEFA Champions League. That loss effectively decided which out of the pair of European giants would go through to the latter stages in top spot.
After that defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu, the French champions won their remaining four matches of the month.
PSG bounced back from the Real loss with a 5-0 home win over Toulouse and followed that rout up with a 2-1 win away at FC Lorient. The victory over Les Merlus came after an ill-fated November international break, which saw Ligue 1 football resume in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks.
Laurent Blanc’s men then travelled to Sweden and disposed of Malmo FF 5-0, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic made an emotional return to his hometown to face the club with whom he spent his formative years. Les Parisiens rounded off the month in style with a 4-1 thumping of ESTAC Troyes at Parc des Princes.
The win over Jean-Marc Furlan’s men—the Troyes coach has since left his post—was the first time that the capital club played in their home stadium since the Paris attacks, and the pre-match scenes were poignant.
The Ligue 1 leaders ended November with a 13-point lead at the top of Le Championnat. PSG also qualified from Group A of the Champions League with a game to spare, their 10 points from five games being just three points behind leaders Real.
Blanc’s men scored 16 times during the month, conceding just three—all in separate games—and they also maintained their record as one of Europe’s last unbeaten sides domestically, along with Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga.
The German champions’ defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, albeit in December, means the French capital outfit are actually Europe’s final unbeaten team in domestic competition.
Here is a ranking of PSG’s five best players from November.
5. Blaise Matuidi
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Although in need of a rest after a gruelling last few months, Blaise Matuidi was once again run into the ground by Blanc and France coach Didier Deschamps in November.
However, the irrepressible midfielder still managed to make some telling contributions for Les Parisiens over the course of the month.
Matuidi scored the second of PSG’s two goals in their narrow 2-1 win away at Lorient before providing two assists in the 5-0 drubbing of Malmo in Sweden.
The France international might have been desperate for a breather, but he was only rested for the majority of the 4-1 home win over Troyes and still came on for the final 25 minutes.
4. Lucas Moura
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Coming into November on a good run of form, Lucas Moura’s continued to have an impact on games for PSG. However, the Brazil international enjoyed greater success from the bench than he did in the starting XI.
In the two matches he started—Lorient away and Troyes at home—the 23-year-old was not particularly impressive. In two of his three appearances as a substitute though, he scored two goals and caught the eye.
Lucas scored a fine headed effort in the home win over Toulouse and a sublime free-kick in the victory away at Malmo.
3. Adrien Rabiot
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Adrien Rabiot started November as one of the fringe members of Blanc’s squad, and by the end of it, the 20-year-old midfielder was a key figure in the starting XI.
Following an injury to Marco Verratti early on in the 1-0 defeat away at Real, the France under-21 international was thrown on in his place. Instead of sinking under the pressure, Rabiot swam and produced a mightily impressive performance that could ultimately go a long way toward ensuring his long-term future is at Parc des Princes.
The academy graduate followed up his successful Madrid outing with a series of mature showings, notably against former loan club Toulouse, helping to soften the blow dealt by Verratti’s absence.
Rabiot’s excellent November was capped by a superb headed goal in the 5-0 win away at Malmo in the Champions League.
2. Angel Di Maria
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November was a good month for Angel Di Maria at PSG, perhaps even his best month in the French capital to date.
The Argentina international was central to a number of Les Parisiens’ positive results over the course of the month, but he even looked impressive in the 1-0 defeat away at Real.
Di Maria’s return to Santiago Bernabeu was not an ideal one, but El Fideo still managed to catch the eye and stand out—along with Adrien Rabiot—as one of the best players for Blanc’s team on the night.
After the disappointment of that trip to Madrid, the 27-year-old set PSG on their way to a 5-0 rout of Toulouse at Parc des Princes with a free-kick and was then rested after international duty for the 2-1 win away at Lorient.
Di Maria returned to the starting XI with no dip in form, scoring twice as Les Parisiens smashed Malmo 5-0 in Sweden. He provided a pair of assists in the straightforward 4-1 win over Troyes.
The South American’s second assist, for Jean-Kevin Augustin’s powerful drive from distance, was debatable. However, there was nothing to scrutinise in his sumptuous first assist to set up Edinson Cavani’s stylish opening goal.
1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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November’s star man for PSG was Ibrahimovic, who notched four goals and an assist from five games across all competitions. Although the Swede started brightly in the 1-0 defeat away at Real, he faded away during the second half in what was comfortably his worst performance of the month.
Thankfully, his form improved in the following games, starting with two goals and as assist in the 5-0 thrashing of Toulouse. That double continued an impressive run of scoring in every one of PSG’s last six Ligue 1 outings at that point.
Although the 34-year-old was unable to continue in that prolific vein of form in the following match, away at Lorient, he did still contribute in the 2-1 win. Zlatan provided the assist for Blaise Matuidi’s goal, which ended up proving crucial in a narrow victory.
Next up for the talismanic striker was a return home to Malmo to face his first professional club, and the hometown hero did not disappoint the adoring public, scoring early in the second half in a 5-0 demolition of the Swedes. Ibrahimovic’s display earned him a standing ovation.
Finally, to round off November’s action, PSG hosted Troyes in an emotional occasion, being the first game at Parc des Princes after the Paris terrorist attacks. Zlatan played a role in the 4-1 hammering handed out by the champions, scoring a second-half penalty.
It was a significant goal in the Scandinavian superstar’s career in France, pulling him level with PSG legend Mustapha Dahleb on 85 Ligue 1 goals for the capital outfit. Although now in December, Ibrahimovic’s double in Friday’s 3-0 win away at OGC Nice took him up to 87 and made him the outright top league goalscorer in the club’s history.
Remembering his heroic three goals across two games for Sweden on the international scene to help them qualify for next summer’s 2016 UEFA European Championship, November was an extremely successful month for Zlatan.
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