Six Notable PSG Performers So Far This Season
Thanks to these standout players, PSG recorded impressive back-to-back victories over Dortmund and Marseille.
Paris Saint-Germain sit third in Ligue 1 and within two points of top spot after a crushing 4-0 win over bitter rivals in Le Classique on Sunday. Defeat to OGC Nice recently does mean that Luis Enrique’s men trail Francesco Farioli’s unbeaten side and early season surprise package SB Brestois 29, but otherwise, Les Parisiens are on the up. Admittedly, 12 points from a possible 18 is not the sort of return PSG are used to in Le Championnat, but the tradeoff has arguably been worth it with improved team showings. Victories over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League and OM in Ligue 1 have justified the Spanish tactician’s recent praise, and the French champions are clearly developing something.
Now that we are six games in and in a position to look at some of the progress made so far ahead of a trip to rock-bottom Clermont Foot 63, we assess some of the key performers so far.
Marquinhos
This campaign was a big one for the PSG captain, and he has so far shown himself to be up to the task with improved form to date. Marquinhos had struggled under both Christophe Galtier and Mauricio Pochettino, so it is refreshing to see the Brazil international sure of himself once more. His presence was clearly missed against Nice when Danilo Pereira paired with Milan Škriniar, and the 29-year-old is now the capital club’s longest-serving current player. It will be interesting to see what happens with Škriniar once Presnel Kimpembe is fully fit, but for the moment, he is faring well enough alongside Marquinhos despite a few shaky moments, which were most apparent when the South American was not present.
Lucas Hernández
Despite initial skepticism upon his arrival from Bayern Munich, which owed more to his Marseille origins than anything else, the France international has been a consistent performer so far. Luis Enrique is using Hernández at left back while Nuno Mendes takes his time returning, and Škriniar beds in centrally, and the Portuguese’s extended absence likely means a continued run for the 27-year-old on the left. Having Hernández on one side with a more disciplined Achraf Hakimi on the right has given PSG more balance at the back, and a system change away from four defenders could even happen once all central defensive options are fully fit. For now, though, Hernández is doing a great job on the left without excelling, and the Parisien back line is much better for it.
Manuel Ugarte
Arguably the most impressive early performer of this summer’s new arrivals, the Uruguay international has already taken on significant importance in the midfield. Ugarte’s substance has replaced Marco Verratti’s style in the middle, and the results have been more effective, with the former Sporting CP man providing the solid base necessary for both Warren Zaïre-Emery and Vitinha to shine. It has not been totally perfect so far this term, with Ugarte already getting banged up a few times, but his absence, along with Marquinhos against Nice, was felt, and the 22-year-old is very clearly already a key component for Luis Enrique when fit. That is probably the biggest concern right now: who can replace Ugarte if he were to miss a run of games, given Danilo’s unconvincing showings so far?
Achraf Hakimi
The Morocco international is a player reborn under Luis Enrique, and it showed with superb goals against both Dortmund in Europe and Marseille domestically this past week. Hakimi displayed his tremendous technique with an intricate pass and finish exchange with Vitinha in the UCL before smashing home a stunning free-kick against OM in Ligue 1 within a few days of each other. Perhaps the Spanish connection with his new boss factors into this, but Hakimi seems far more settled and invested in the collective once more, and the 24-year-old is even making an effort to be more disciplined defensively, which has not gone unnoticed in these early days.
Warren Zaïre-Emery
That the French wonderkid is a regular starter at the tender age of 17 is a testament to his incredible talent and potential, but Luis Enrique is not fielding Zaire-Emery just for the sake of it. The midfield maestro is showing maturity beyond his years alongside Ugarte and often Vitinha, which has been reflected by an under-21 call-up and the team captaincy under new boss Thierry Henry. PSG have been guilty of stifling some of their best young talents in recent years, with Xavi Simons needing to leave to catch up on missed development in Paris, but that is not the case with Zaïre-Emery. The teen sensation is justifying his starting role with impressive levels of consistency, and the Parc des Princes faithful already have a new homegrown favorite with the potential to become a club legend.
Kylian Mbappé
Eight goals and counting across Ligue 1 and the Champions League with a game and a half missed at the start of the term and a first-half injury against Marseille underlines just how good the French superstar’s start to this season has been. Despite uncertainty regarding his future beyond next summer, Mbappe has been as talismanic as ever and is clearly enjoying the new-look PSG, which boasts the strongest French core we have seen in Paris for many years. It is taking some fine tuning to get the best out of Mbappé, Randal Kolo Muani, Gonçalo Ramos, and Ousmane Dembélé at the same time, but OM was a positive step for the attack with Bradley Barcola offering an interesting possibility to his compatriot to move into a more central role from time to time. We will see how Mbappe’s role develops further under Luis Enrique, but it was encouraging to see less dependence on the French star against Marseille despite his indisputably strong start to the campaign.