Player Ratings: PSG's Attacking Woes Continue Against Toulouse
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Player Ratings: PSG's Attacking Woes Continue Against Toulouse
Paris Saint-Germain have yet to score a goal from open play, but there are plenty of reasons to remain positive about the season.
The last time we saw Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 action, Neymar Jr. was on the team, and Kylian Mbappé was forced to watch the action from the stands. A week later, Mbappé is back in the squad, and Neymar has been shipped to the Saudi Pro League.
With so much drama going on off the pitch, it was a welcomed change to see PSG in Ligue 1 action on Saturday against Toulouse FC at the Stadium TFC. Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé started the match on the bench in a curious move from manager Luis Enrique.
With both attacking options on the bench, PSG failed to break through the defense of Toulouse. Play in the final third was disjointed and uninspiring. Toulouse was more than happy to yield the majority of possession to PSG, and the reigning French champions did very little with it.
The first half fizzled without much action, except for Mbappé warming up in the waning minutes. When the Frenchman did come on in the second half, alongside Dembélé, the match immediately opened up, and PSG was much more of a threat to score.
Mbappé eventually put PSG into the lead, thanks to a penalty kick awarded via VAR after the Frenchman was taken down in the box. Unfortunately, Toulouse would respond by winning a penalty of their own when Achraf Hakimi brought down Zakaria Aboukhlal on the edge of the box.
Despite a frantic finish, PSG would have to settle for its second straight draw in Ligue 1 play, and perhaps even more concerning, no goals scored from open play.
The good news is that Randal Kolo Muani is reportedly close to joining PSG, and Bradley Barcola remains an option. It’s conceivable that PSG could have a similar attack to the France national team in Mbappé, Dembélé, and Kolo Muani.
Before we look too far ahead at the potential of this PSG side, let’s look back at some player ratings.
Player Ratings
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.
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 4
Like the match against Lorient, Donnarumma didn’t have much to do against Toulouse except try to block Aboukhlal’s penalty kick. Otherwise, the hosts only managed two shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes. What’s interesting is Keylor Navas is still a PSG player. Could the club keep the veteran in the squad in case Donnarumma experiences a dip in form during the season? Something to keep your eye on as the transfer window comes to a close.
Marquinhos - 5
Marquinhos was back in the starting lineup after being brought on late as a substitute against Lorient. He played well, and there’s one moment in particular when PSG gave the ball away, and he tracked back and made a sliding tackle to stop the Toulouse attack. The 29-year-old still has loads of quality, but something just isn’t right. Rumors about his departure continue to swirl, and even if he stays at PSG, he may no longer be the captain.
Milan Škriniar - 6
If you were to build a prototype of the perfect defender, it would probably look a lot like Milan Škriniar. He is unflappable when put under pressure, and you never feel like he’s going to play the wrong pass or get his positioning wrong. I’m looking forward to seeing him against tougher Ligue 1 competition as PSG takes on RC Lens and Olympique Lyonnais next.
Lucas Hernández - 5
Hard to believe this guy shredded his knee in the FIFA World Cup last fall. He’s fit into this team seamlessly, and I like that Enrique isn’t playing him a full 90 minutes yet. Nuno Mendes is still the preferred starting left-back, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good Hernández has looked early on this season.
Achraf Hakimi - 3
Another 3 performance for Achraf Hakimi, and patience is waning thin. It was the Morocco international who gave away the penalty by tugging on Aboukhlal as the Toulouse player was running away from Donnarumma’s goal, and the ball was nowhere near playable. To add insult to injury, Hakimi stepped on Aboukhlal’s shoe and forced it to come off, which the official held up as proof that Hakimi had committed the foul. If he’s not careful, Nordi Mukiele will come back into the squad and replace him in the starting lineup.
Warren Zaïre-Emery - 5
Another decent performance from Warren Zaïre-Emery. In fact, the youngster should have been credited for a goal, in my opinion. He hit a low volley that beat the keeper, but it was called off because a PSG player who wasn’t involved in the play was offside. It will be interesting to see if Zaïre-Emery can keep his spot in the starting lineup as the club looks to make additional signings. If so, I anticipate these 5 ratings moving up to 7 by the end of the season.
Fabián Ruiz - 5
Fabián Ruiz doesn’t get a lot of love from the PSG supporters, but he is sneakily one of the best and most versatile options in the squad. He’s never going to wow you with his technical ability or record a ton of goals and assists, but he doesn’t make a lot of errors, either. Ruiz alone won’t win you games or trophies like Mbappé or Neymar, but you need players like him in your team to achieve success.
Manuel Ugarte - 8
Another outstanding performance from Manuel Ugarte. He is as advertised, and I personally love his blue-collar approach to the game. There’s nothing flashy about Ugarte, but you know opponents hate when they see him coming toward them. The cherry on top might be the price PSG paid for him from Sporting CP, a reported €60 million. That is an absolute steal considering what some Premier League clubs are paying for players who couldn’t carry Ugarte’s boots.
Vitinha - 6
Vitinha is unlikely to be a regular starter once all of the new signings are introduced, but that shouldn’t take away from his performance against Toulouse. The second-year PSG player started as a winger in Enrique’s 4-3-3 formation and was very active in attack. He was always looking for his shot and wasn’t afraid to test the Toulouse keeper. He also linked up well with Hakimi on the right flank.
Gonçalo Ramos - 4
I can’t go higher than a 4 again for Gonçalo Ramos. He just isn’t a big enough threat yet for PSG, and what’s frustrating is he has the quality to be lethal in front of goal. He’s not popping off my screen, and he disappears far too often. Despite this, I’m not overly concerned. He’s in a new team, a new city, with guys he’s never played with before. It will take time, but with more attacking players coming into the team, he could be sent to the bench and play more of a super sub role this season.
Kang-In Lee - 6
Another solid performance from Kang-In Lee, but not quite as good in the previous match against Lorient. As I said in that match’s player ratings, I’m not sure the left wing is his best position. Now that Mbappé is back in the team, the Frenchman will take over that position, and Kang-In Lee could be tried out as an attacking midfielder. I think that is when we will see the best of the South Korea international.
Substitutes
Danilo Pereira - 5
Danilo came on late in the 78th minute and provided stability in relief of Lucas Hernández. Danilo has become a very reliable defensive option for PSG. When Presnel Kimpembe comes back from injury (likely during the second half of the season), PSG should have plenty of defensive options to close out the season.
Kylian Mbappé - 7
The game completely changed when Mbappé came on the pitch in the 51st minute. What was a stagnant and boring attack, suddenly turned into must-see TV. VAR confirmed Mbappé’s penalty, and his penalty kick was expertly taken. His most memorable move was jumping over the barrier to celebrate the goal with the traveling PSG supporters.
Carlos Soler - 2
I do not know what Carlos Soler brings to this team. He’s not good enough to be playing for PSG. It was his turnover in midfield that allowed Toulouse to get forward and win a couple of corner kicks. On the second corner kick, Hakimi made the foolish mistake of fouling on the edge of the box, but if Soler doesn’t give the ball away, none of that happens. If PSG can get a transfer fee for him before the close of the window, they absolutely have to do that deal.
Ousmane Dembélé - 7
Dembélé nearly scored a spectacular goal against Toulouse, but a slight slip canceled out a brilliant move from the Frenchman. He breezed by defenders with ease, and before lining up a shot that surely would have been a game-winner, he slipped, and the chance faded. If he can stay healthy this season, Dembélé will be an excellent addition alongside Mbappé.