3 Christmas Wishes for Paris Saint-Germain Fans

Paris Saint-Germain finished 2015 by breaking the Ligue 1 points record at this stage of the season. Their 3-0 win over Caen at the weekend took their total to 51, extending their lead at the top of the table to 19 points.

It’s almost perfect. They end the first half of the season unbeaten in first place and have the best defensive record in the league.

This summer’s signings have worked perfectly. Serge Aurier has blossomed since making his loan from Toulouse permanent, displacing Gregory van der Wiel as the club’s first-choice right-back—with the scary prospect that the 22-year-old can continue to improve.

Angel Di Maria has helped everyone forget his one-year spell at Manchester United. He leads Ligue 1 in assists, has added six goals and looks every part the big-money signing that Laurent Blanc and PSG were hoping for.

Ligue 1 now takes a break for winter, with PSG’s next game coming on January 8 when they welcome Bastia to the Parc des Princes.

Not everything is perfect, though, and here are three Christmas wishes for PSG fans over the festive period.

Chelsea don’t flourish under Guus Hiddink

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When the draw was made for the first round of the Champions League knockout stage, PSG were installed as favourites to advance past Chelsea due to their troubles under former manager Jose Mourinho.

Since the draw, Mourinho is gone and Guus Hiddink has been named as interim boss. This is the Dutchman's second spell at the club after previously taking over from the sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2009. Hiddink went on to win the FA Cup with the Blues and reached the semi-final of the Champions League before being knocked out by Barcelona.

The experienced boss will fancy his chances of transforming Chelsea’s current form, and with almost two months before they face PSG, they could have turned their season around by the time the first leg is played.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told the official Chelsea website:

"

He was here before, he did very well and I think he's a very good manager.

Hopefully together we can climb back up the table and we're looking forward to starting working with him.

Obviously when a manager goes it's a difficult situation. Everybody is sad about what happened because we haven't played well and won games, so we have to react and do better.

"

PSG fans will be hoping that Hiddink doesn’t have the same positive effect he had back in 2009. A rejuvenated Chelsea will be a much harder prospect to face, and they could end Blanc’s chances of reaching PSG’s target of the semi-finals.

As PSG take a rest this winter, Chelsea enter the madness of England’s festive football period, with games coming thick and fast. It’s the time of the year when seasons can be made or broken.

If Hiddink can pick up his team’s form quickly, it could be a brand new Chelsea in the new year.

Edinson Cavani receives some killer instinct for Christmas

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For anyone looking from the outside, the 10 goals that Edinson Cavani has scored this season could be seen as a fantastic return from the Uruguayan striker. However, when you look a little deeper and analyse his full performances, it’s hard to praise the displays of "El Matador."

The truth is, the former Napoli superstar should have scored around 20 goals this campaign.

Last Wednesday’s Coupe de la Ligue fixture against Saint-Etienne was a typical Cavani performance. Involved for short periods of the game, one of his attempts was spectacularly scooped over the bar, and another saw the forward and Layvin Kurzawa get in each other’s way, with the South American swinging at fresh air—it was laughable.

Then, just when you have written him off, Cavani met a superb cross-field ball from Di Maria with a first-time side-foot volley and guided it beyond Jessy Moulin to help PSG advance to the next round.

It took until the 85th minute for the goal to come, with Cavani disappointing for 84 of those minutes. During a highlights package, Cavani will impress, but he is usually disappointing over 90 minutes.

According to WhoScored, Cavani is averaging 3.1 shots per game this season in Ligue 1, leading to his 10 goals. However, the striker is only averaging 1.7 shots per Champions League game, with only one goal in the competition.

Against Chelsea, or even further in the competition, chances will be at a premium. The biggest criticism towards the 28-year-old has been has lack of a killer instinct, and the statistics this season back up that theory.

If Santa can leave some shooting boots under the Uruguayan’s tree this Christmas, then PSG could become an even greater force. Without them, the Parisians could come unstuck.

PSG can keep their midfield together

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During the game against Shakhtar Donetsk, Adrien Rabiot was booed by his own fans in reaction to his comments on French TV program Telefoot, suggesting that PSG should grant his request to leave on loan in January.

Rabiot has stepped up his game during Marco Verratti’s recent injury, but with the Italian midfielder back in the starting XI, Rabiot’s minutes are set to reduce once again. Blanc didn’t see the funny side.

Before the Shakhtar fixture, Blanc said, per ESPN FC:

"

It annoys me. I don't want to say anymore and I'm going to concentrate on tomorrow's match.

Adrien has to understand that when you have the possibility of going to the end of your contract and to leave for free, you can do it.

Otherwise, when you sign a contract of five years with PSG, you have to respect your first club.

"

Blaise Matuidi, Thiago Motta and Verratti have been Blanc’s favoured trio for the best part of three years now, and understandably, as they have performed exceptionally well. However, it is in PSG’s best interest to keep Rabiot happy, but without bowing to the 20-year-old’s every demand.

Verratti’s injury gave the Frenchman the chance to step up, and he took it with both hands, impressing in both the league and the Champions League. It is acceptable that he wants to play more, but he has to respect the club and the hierarchy involved.

At the age of 33, Motta is not going to be able to play at the same level for the foreseeable future, and Rabiot will begin to gain more and more playing time. He has established himself as the fourth-choice midfield, and that should be enough at this stage of his career at a club like PSG.

Rabiot is the future of the midfield. If he was allowed to leave, the club would not only need to replace him, but look at who would also replace Motta over the next 18 months.

Former France defender Frank Leboeuf told radio station RMC (h/t ESPN FC):

"

If I had the choice, Adrien Rabiot wouldn't have started against Donetsk.

He's still at an age where he can receive lessons. At the age of 20, you have the right to talk nonsense but the elders, and especially the superiors, have the right to punish you.

When you're part of a club, you're part of a squad. To position yourself like that at the age of 20, it's a lack of respect in relation to the squad and to the club that employs you. It would be a good lesson in order to learn humility.

"

Blanc needs to find a way to keep Rabiot happy without giving the youngster everything at the drop of a hat.

Rabiot needs to learn respect, but it would be a terrible move if he left Paris this winter.