Exclusive PSG legend: Chelsea have what it takes to make life difficult for Paris. It will be tough and Dembele isn't at his best

By Alessandro Schiavone at Parc des Princes, Paris

Ligue 1, PSG 1-3 Monaco

Capital Football have caught up with Éric Rabésandratana who played for PSG between 1997 and 2001.

"Zabarnyi's struggles? Ligue 1 isn't as easy as people may think. Chelsea will be a tough exercise. Physically PSG ain't recovering... 110 games down the line."

Eric, what did you make of PSG’s performance five days before the reception of Chelsea? Their defensive issues have been an open-secret for a while now and tonight has clearly fed into that narrative, especially without Marquinhos the backline bas been exposed time and again.

“What they lack is a defensive state of mind. PSG are struggling physically and if they are not at their best from that viewpoint it has a domino effect on all the rest. It dents their attacking play, their rhythm and in defensive transition it becomes tough as a result. On top of that, their defensive behaviour is concerning when it comes to regaining their positions, catching up with the opposition, aggressiveness… this PSG team is lacking many things.”

And they were easily stretched and put under pressure by Monaco’s well-weighted passes in behind their defence and into space. It’s undeniable.

“Chelsea have all the qualities to make life hard for Paris Saint-Germain. There’s no doubt that it will be a tough game. But all three Monaco goals on Friday night were PSG gifts! This doesn’t detract from Monaco’s quality but it was further proof that PSG have not recovered yet. And until the end of the season we will see more of the same. PSG are in survival mode right now. Matches are coming thick and fast, the Monaco game was the 110th game since August 2024. It’s a lot! And given that PSG are not a machine it explains why the going has been so tough. It’s not easy to cope with it but there’s a lot at stake against Chelsea, a team that outclassed PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup. The team has to rise to the occasion but it will be very tough.”

Moussa Dembele’s introduction proved however that the music changes when he’s on the pitch.

“It changes when it comes to carrying the ball forward at pace. He brought a breath of fresh air on Friday but it didn’t last. He played 20-25 minutes and only for 10-15 minutes of that did he make a contribution. It’s a far cry from what we can hope and that adds to the struggles.”

Did you expect more from ex-Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi after his £63million arrival from the Premier League last summer? The Ukrainian has come under a lot of scrutiny..

“He lacks consistency and regularity. He hasn’t fully adapted yet to dealing with the players in the French league. The Premier League is one thing but Ligue 1 is also tough. People think it’s easier… but it isn’t as straightforward as some may believe. The opposing players are physically strong and honestly Zabarnyi’s performances have picked up since the beginning. He’s progressing but not at 100% yet.”