Player Ratings: PSG Settles For Scoreless Draw Against Lorient
Paris Saint-Germain left several superstar players on the bench to open up the Ligue 1 campaign against FC Lorient.
Paris Saint-Germain officially kicked off the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season on Saturday with a home fixture against FC Lorient. The final whistle somewhat doused the jubilation of new beginnings in the French capital as PSG failed to break through Lorient’s stingy defense and settled for a scoreless draw.
New manager Luis Enrique started six new signings against Lorient at the Parc des Princes while leaving Kylian Mbappé, Neymar Jr., and Marco Verratti out of the squad entirely and benching Marquinhos.
As Enrique said in his press conference the day prior regarding those high-profile players, “I invite you to pay attention to my actions. My decisions will make my opinion clear.”
If that’s the case, it’s clear Enrique—or those above him, to be exact—are actively negotiating with clubs to move off several of the aforementioned players. In the case of Marquinhos, it could be that Enrique believes Milan Škriniar and Danilo Pereira are simply a better center-back pairing.
On the pitch, it was obvious from the mental errors and giveaways that this was PSG’s first competitive match with so many fresh faces. The formation, a 4-3-3, lacked width, and the midfield felt congested throughout the 90 minutes.
PSG saw plenty of the ball to the tune of 78% possession but only managed to fire off four shots on goal. It was frustrating to watch at times, especially with a world-class winger in Mbappé watching from the stands, but this squad is very much in rebuild mode, and supporters have to be patient.
The cavalry is coming, though. Ousmane Dembélé was announced as a new signing before kickoff and will help add some much-needed width to the formation. There’s also speculation that PSG could sign Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt and Bradley Barcola from Olympique Lyonnais.
We’ll have much more on the comings and goings at PSG, but let’s look at each player who made an appearance against Lorient and hand out some ratings. As you might have guessed, 1 is the lowest score possible and indicates an extremely poor performance, and 10 is the highest score possible and indicates a world-class, game-changing performance.
Player Ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 5
Donnarumma faced a staggering zero shots on goal from Lorient. He didn’t make any mistakes and looked confident with the ball at his feet when PSG had to build from the back.
Milan Škriniar - 7
I was impressed with every aspect of Škriniar’s game against Lorient. He provided the confidence in defense we haven’t seen since Thiago Silva departed for Chelsea FC several years ago. It makes you wonder if PSG could have defeated FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last season if Škriniar was able to join the club from Inter Milan in January.
Danilo Pereira - 7
With Marquinhos on the bench, Danilo wore the captain’s armband, and he did not disappoint. The Portugal international has proven to be a versatile asset for PSG, capable of playing in the defensive midfield or as a center-back. On this night, he paired well with Škriniar, and the two shut down any attack Lorient tried to muster.
Lucas Hernández - 7
The second newcomer in PSG’s defense also put in a performance that will give supporters hope. Lucas Hernández was active on the left side of the pitch, tracking back, pressing, and getting forward to whip in crosses. While his passes didn’t connect with any of PSG’s attacking options, you can see the quality he will bring to the position. Along with Nuno Mendes, PSG’s left-back position might be the best in Europe.
Achraf Hakimi - 3
I’m not sure what is going on with Achraf Hakimi. He’s one of the best right-backs in Europe, but he’s coming off a disappointing season, and he was easily the worst player on the pitch for both sides. His touches on the ball were off, and there was this weird scorpion kick thing he attempted to do in the box when a cross came in. If he’s not careful, Nordi Mukiele will take his spot in the starting lineup.
Manuel Ugarte - 8
Wow, what a performance from PSG’s priciest signing of the summer. The former Sporting CP midfielder was an absolute pest throughout the match. Manuel Ugarte’s tenacity to win the ball back is something supporters have been crying out for since Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi called the Parc des Princes home. He didn’t offer much going forward, but his ability to control the midfield left me wondering if we’ll miss Marco Verratti at all.
Vitinha - 5
An average performance from Vitinha at best. To be honest, I sometimes forgot he was even out on the pitch. He did very little to stand out and was subbed off in the 69th minute for Fabián Ruiz.
Warren Zaïre-Emery - 5
The 17-year-old is one of the players PSG is counting on in the future, but he didn’t make his mark against Lorient. He had a run or two in the box where he looked to create a dangerous situation but lacked that extra quality needed in those positions to finish off the move.
Gonçalo Ramos - 4
I have to say, I was disappointed with Gonçalo Ramos’ performance against Lorient. Make no mistake about it, he is the player PSG is counting on to score goals, and he failed to do that. A lot of that is down to the service he was given, but he has to do better to get into those positions and score ugly if that’s what the game is calling out for.
Marco Asensio - 4
I didn’t love this signing this summer when it was announced, and Marco Asensio’s performance did nothing to get me excited. Some PSG supporters wonder if he should play more in the midfield instead of on the wing, and I have to say I agree with them. I think he would be an excellent option off the bench to add some creativity to the midfield, but as a winger, he lacks the pace and quality needed.
Kang-In Lee - 7
I was very impressed with Kang-In Lee’s performance against Lorient. The best way I can describe his game is “twitchy.” When he has the ball, he’s able to dip his should and take small touches of the ball to avoid defenders. I don’t know if his best position is on the wing, perhaps he would flourish as an attacking midfielder, but the future is bright for Kang-In Lee.
Substitutes
Marquinhos - 4
Forgettable performance from Marquinhos. He came on in the 82nd minute for Hernández and didn’t really stand out. As I mentioned earlier, Marquinhos may not have impressed Enrique in training, or perhaps he’s being punished for his comments about the Mbappé situation during the club’s preseason tour. Whatever it is, Marquinhos needs to figure it out, or he could be the next long-term PSG player who is moved on.
Fabián Ruiz - 6
Very impressed with Fabián Ruiz’s performance in the 20 minutes he had to play. He made a great sliding interception and put in an excellent cross. He was active in the attack and continued his excellent form to close out the 2022-23 campaign. Moving forward, I wouldn’t mind seeing him replace Vitinha in the midfield hierarchy.
Carlos Soler - 4
Unlike Ruiz, Carlos Soler just hasn’t hit his stride at PSG. He replaced Asensio and was equally as unimpressive. You have to wonder if a bid came in for Soler if PSG would cut their losses at this point.
Hugo Ekitiké - 4
I was surprised that Hugo Ekitiké played, considering the transfer rumors about his potential departure. Much like last season, he wasn’t able to deliver a goal when PSG needed one late on. He could be moved on to Everton FC, or, to Frankfurt who will need to replace Kolo Muani if he makes the move to PSG.