Dark October. The start of the month for the Parisians showed the first cracks in the rossoblù building with, in the space of five days, the first defeat of the season suffered at Arsenal (2-0) and the draw achieved by Nice (1 -1 ) after forcing him to abandon the presidency of AS Monaco, which now has a 3-point lead after being held in check by Lille this Friday at Louis II (0-0). Two games with different scenarios but similar problems, especially on the midfield side, shaken by the intensity imposed by the two opponents.
And since PSG will surely face the same physical challenge on Tuesday against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League and the following Sunday in a very promising Clasico on the Marseille turf, Strasbourg‘s welcome this Saturday evening (21) at the Parc des Princes seems like a small test when this captivating sequence opens. Without being decisive, he should still say a lot about the substance of this formation and bring his new teaching after a summer full of promise and a more uncertain start to autumn.
Raising the bar and finding the path to success again against the Alsatians, beaten only once this season, would at least have the merit of dispelling the few clouds in the Parisian sky, even if Luis Enrique, faithful to his habits, is in fact the last to worry about the problems encountered before the national break.
The difficulty of moving forward after the break
“I consider it a perfect moment for us (…) A season is not linear. There have been better moments, others less good, the Spanish coach put into perspective during a press conference in which he did not want to confirm the contract extension. We can’t win every game. But I see the team in good shape. There are six important matches in the next three weeks, we are motivated, we will start tomorrow in front of our fans. »
If the “motivation” advanced by the Spaniard may seem like a linguistic tic used in all sorts of ways, it takes on all its meaning in a coach who does not tolerate the slightest relaxation on the part of his players. Even more so after a window dedicated to selections where clubs sometimes tend to leave points along the way given the tiredness of the national teams.
Although spared by injuries, the Parisian club should offer a renewed face and take the opportunity to give breathing space to some managers (Hakimi, Marquinhos, Dembélé) who are already in great demand. “You have to take into account playing time, travel, fatigue… This will have repercussions on the team on the pitch,” confirms Luis Enrique. We want to win this match and, after the break, it won’t be easy. »
With an average of four goals scored by the home team this Ligue 1 season, the crowd at the Parc des Princes still hopes to see their players maintain this positive dynamic to experience a brighter month of October.
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