PSG Give Chelsea a Warning as They Turn on the Style Against Angers

Since the turn of the year, Paris Saint-Germain are unbeaten, but the performances haven’t quite caught the imagination of the French public—that all changed with Saturday’s 5-1 destruction of SCO Angers at the Parc des Princes.

The home side had a point to prove after Stephane Moulin’s side had held them goalless for the first time this season back in December. It took 32 minutes to break the deadlock, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s shot taking a deflection off Romain Thomas, but that was the start of an excellent performance.

Blanc made a number of changes from the team that beat Toulouse in the cup on Tuesday, some forced, some, it seemed, tactical.

With a few of his central-defensive options missing through injury, the PSG coach was forced to move Serge Aurier into the middle and Gregory van der Wiel played at right-back. Adrien Rabiot continued in Marco Verratti’s absence, but the most telling change came upfront.

After receiving a lot of criticism lately, plus the uncertainty over Edinson Cavani’s future, according to Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, Blanc decided to start with Lucas Moura on the left of the three-man attack—the changes paid off.

Lucas scored the second after Angel Di Maria and Van der Wiel combined beautifully down the left, The Dutch full-back cut the ball back inside the area and the Brazilian finished.

At the same time as Manchester United fans bemoan the lack of attacking options and only managed one shot on target at home against Southampton on Saturday, Angel Di Maria, who left the Premier League in the summer, continued his amazing form, playing his part in four of PSG’s goals, scoring two stunners.

The first half was just a warm up for what would follow, PSG playing some of their best free-flowing football of the season—definitely what had been missing so far in 2016.

Van der Wiel scored the third, putting the finishing touches on a wonderful team move. From Ibrahimovic juggling the ball in midfield, Di Maria’s sweeping pass to Blaise Matuidi and his first-time volleyed pass finding the Dutchman at the back post.

Then it was time for Di Maria to steal the show. His first was a stunning, opportunistic volley from outside the box. Perfectly steering the ball with his left-foot Angers ‘keeper over Alexandre Letellier. The fifth and the icing on the cake.

Slipped in by the influential Matuidi, Di Maria balanced himself before cutely lifting the ball over the helpless Letellier—such a delicate finish from a player running at full speed, showing the class the Argentinian possesses.

Di Maria will quite rightly get all the media attention following the two superb goals, but Matuidi’s hat-trick of assists continues to show just how important the France international is to how well PSG play.

"Angers are a very solid side with the second-best defence in the land, but tonight, they were up against an excellent Paris Saint-Germain,” said Matuidi after the game to the official PSG website.

"We played very well and scored a lot of goals which bodes well for the future. Now we have to go on with it. I am very happy to have provided three assists. I'm surrounded by great players and obviously that makes me look good."

They are already unstoppable when it comes to the challenges offered domestically, but when they are in the mood, PSG are an absolute joy to watch.

Di Maria has added a new dimension to this team—Cavani may be stuttering, but under the Argentinian’s guidance, PSG are beginning to purr and warm up nicely with one month until they take on Chelsea in Champions League.