What did we learn about PSG ahead of the Chelsea game?

By Alessandro Schiavone at Parc des Princes, Paris

PSG failed their Chelsea audition five days before the Blues come to town for the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie. Monaco, a side that has had PSG’s number more than any other Ligue 1 side since their notorious Qatari takeover 15 years ago, unwrapped three gifts to complete the double in the French league over the capital side.

Defeat also meant that Lens has cut the gap to Paris to a single point at the top with Luis Enrique’s 2025 sextuple heroes the visiting side at Stade Bollaert on 11 April and their hopes of retaining at least Ligue 1 now on a knife edge.

The game between two of the last three Ligue 1 winners was always gonna be a tough one to call… not least as Monaco only had themselves to blame in the 5-4 aggregate Champions League playoff exit after being brandished a red card in both legs. Who knows what could have been 11 v 11? We will never know... but here no Monegasque was given the marching orders which helped Sebastien Pocognoli get the job done.

So what did we learn about Luis Enrique’s hit-and-miss squad?

Mistakes galore

The vibes are off right now at Paris Saint-Germain. The energy has shifted from euphoria to a sort of resignation. A resignation that it may never get as good again as last year which may well and truly have been a one-off with the stars (in the sky) finally aligning after years of frustration with superstars (on the pitch). The likes of Barcola, Doué, Dembelé and Vitinha finally delivered Ol' Big Ears' at the ownership's 13th attempt, proving that it can be done with 'normal' players and that the club perhaps wasted years assembling star-studded sides with Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Messi, Neymar, Lavezzi, Mbappé etc.

Yet coming down from a season of grace like that was always gonna prove a tall order psychologically. But that doesn’t fully explain why they donated three goals to the visitors on Friday night. Or maybe it does as confidence is low these days at Porte de Saint-Cloud. Warren Zaire-Emery’s ludicrous dribble in his own box led to Akliouche’s opener. Later Vitinha inadvertently set up Golovin for their second while Balogun’s strike took a deflection off Nuno Mendes for the goal that killed proceedings off in their 3-1 mauling. Prior to that Hakimi played a foolish pass to Lee with Zakaria lurking behind the South Korean and picking his pockets. In the event of a repeat on Wednesday night, Chelsea are ready to cash in. And up against with even better players such as Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto, PSG better ditch their benevolent mood for a more selfish approach. L'Equipe reported on Monday that everyone at the club believes in another "destin doré" (golden destiny). And truth be told they showed last year that it only takes them a big win or two (Man City, Liverpool away) to turn things around and turn the page. So probably we can't read too much into their current struggles.

Dembele is always... Dembele. Even at 40%

The Ballon d’Or winner is nowhere near as decisive as he was last season when he starred on PSG’s way to Champions League glory. But six goals from his last seven Ligue 1 outings perhaps reflect a return to top form. His introduction for the final 30 minutes on Friday Night almost laid the groundwork for his side’s revival from two goals down. His accelerations and progressive runs were a beacon out of the darkness. But Ousmane himself and Barcola were let down by their end product as Monaco went on to put the game beyond doubt with their third strike. Yet there are two PSG sides: one with OD10 and one without him. The impetus, unpredictability and grace Luis Enrique’s side gain from his presence is as clearly as day. Chelsea, who conceded five goals in their last three games, have to be on their toes and defend as a team to clip the superstar's wings. This isn’t to say that he will single-handedly run riot against the west Londoners. For that to happen he needs Doue and Kvaratskhelia to step up. And will we see the Georgian on his favourite left-wing position where he has a number of strings to his bow such as cutting into his right foot or back on the right again as it's been the case lately? He's clearly not himself when he plays on the side of his stronger foot and has come under fire for his sub-par conversion and finishing recently.

The defence was shambolic

Whenever PSG lost the ball in Monaco’s half, it was panic stations at Parc des Princes. And Monaco did not need much to get bodies and the ball forward at speed. The double absence of Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves was keenly felt with the pair usually screening the defence and enabling Vitinha to freely roam forward. Yet the Portuguese ‘drowned’ on his own as Dro Fernandez and Zaire-Emery struggled to impose their own game. The youngsters do not have the experience and personality yet of those they replaced. Time and again, PSG were also stretched by passes in behind their high defensive line with Monaco creating imbalance and exploiting the gaps. 

If Liam Rosenior watched the game, and he surely did, he will know what to do to pounce on PSG’s current frailties. He knows that the French club have a soft underbelly at the minute and a list of issues as long as your arm. Not sure he would take another 3-3 draw like the one that separated the club de La Capitale and his Strasbourg team back in October. After all Adingra, Golovin and Camara could have given the visitors a 6-1 win had it not been for the outstanding Safonov, who make no mistake, is no Donnarumma. The man who knocked out the whole Premier League on his own last term. Barring Chelsea, who put four past him in the Club World Cup Final of course. Yet PSG rarely lose one game... let alone two on the bounce. And we should expect a massive turnaround by Wednesday night. This is a humble PSG team where nobody is putting on airs and graces and where inflated egos are a thing of the past. And albeit they are still littered with injuries and doubts, Luis Enrique who keeps radiating a positive aura and projecting a high vibration in his pressers will surely have diagnosed some of the problems and found a solution for this upcoming blockbuster across the English channel on Wednesday night. The tension is bubbling and the nerves are jangling right now at Parc des Princes yet that's when they gave their best last term. And they also showed that they displayed a mental toughness by erasing a two-goal deficit in the Champions League (see Monaco) and by dispatching Marseille 5-0 not so long ago.Chelsea are warned. Yet if they turn up with the same desire and compactness as at Napoli and Villa Park, they stand a good chance of advancing past PSG for the first time since 2014.