Where the Main Dangers Lie in PSG's Upcoming Schedule
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Where the Main Dangers Lie in PSG's Upcoming Schedule
This month, PSG will kick off their Champions League campaign against Dortmund and later, host rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes.
Paris Saint-Germain will come out of the September international break and launch into what promises to be a challenging period ahead of the October break. The next couple of weeks should tell us and Luis Enrique much more about the Spaniard’s squad both in terms of where they are at in Ligue 1 as well as how they can hope to fare in the UEFA Champions League.
With crunch games home and away suddenly coming into focus, the first real potential pressure points of the season are approaching for Les Parisiens at pace. RC Lens and Olympique Lyonnais were not exactly easy games by domestic standards, but both sides have endured difficult starts to this campaign.
PSG’s tripleheader with OGC Nice, Borussia Dortmund, and Olympique de Marseille promises some big occasions in the French capital ahead of some tricky road games in Newcastle and Rennes. The Ligue 1 champions are currently unbeaten this term and the run of the following five-plus fixtures could decide whether or not Luis Enrique and his players can and should be targeting an invincible season.
We assess where the main dangers lie in the upcoming PSG schedule, which should factor into setting this campaign’s medium to long-term aims during the October internationals.
PSG vs. OGC Nice
First up for Luis Enrique and his players will be a home clash against Les Aiglons this Friday, with Francesco Farioli’s side unbeaten in Championnat play but only just off the mark thanks to a 2-0 win over RC Strasbourg Alsace just before the international break. Draws with Lille OSC, FC Lorient, and Lyon are not too bad for a side under a new boss and up against some of the league’s traditionally stronger opponents. This one should be a good challenge for PSG just ahead of the Champions League return without being too difficult and allowing Luis Enrique to look at a few of his newer faces before a demanding doubleheader with Dortmund and then Marseille.
PSG vs. Borussia Dortmund
The clash with the Germans next Tuesday is arguably the ideal way to start UCL Group F, with the Bundesliga outfit struggling to get going so far this season and arguably the team PSG will feel most confident going up against. Milan and Newcastle, home or away, might have brought a different type of pressure very early on, and the timing of this takes that away and positions it as part of a very beneficial run of games for Luis Enrique and his staff in terms of getting to know their new squad domestically and continentally. It is tough enough not to be considered “easy” yet not so challenging as to be genuinely feared, and the passion on both sides is perfect ahead of Le Classique.
PSG vs. Olympique de Marseille
It's the biggest domestic fixture each season, so this one needs no introduction -- PSG vs. OM is a big deal no matter the timing or circumstance, and this one is no exception. Both sides are currently unbeaten and on the same number of points, which may be the case still coming into this one next Sunday. After Nice and Dortmund, PSG should be ready to give Luis Enrique his first taste of French soccer’s most bitter rivalry, and it could be an early chance to open up some meaningful space in the Ligue 1 table.
Much will depend upon how AS Monaco fare in terms of whether or not PSG can target the top spot in this one, but that will be less important than just beating Marseille and taking the bragging rights. Last season saw two Championnat wins home and away, which was tempered by a loss in Marseille in the Coupe de France, although OM was dumped out amusingly by Ligue 2 side Annecy in front of Stade Velodrome on penalties. This one will also pit Luis Enrique and Marcelino against each other, so it has the potential to be the sternest test of the campaign so far—even if Marseille have not been at their best so far.
Newcastle United vs. PSG
The Champions League group stage draw threw up some fascinating ties, but none were better received than PSG and Newcastle being paired together. It is, of course, a Qatar-owned club against a Saudi-backed one, which brings geopolitics into it in a big way and sets the French giants up for a tricky away day. On paper, PSG will be expected to win against the Magpies, who are back at this level for the first time in decades, but Eddie Howe’s men are not exactly the massive underdogs they are likely to be made out to be.
Premier League money has altered the state of play between Europe’s major leagues, and Newcastle is no exception, with a squad that successfully broke into the UCL places last term. It will be far from easy for PSG and is likely to be considered a can-not-lose fixture as opposed to a must-win one—mainly because of the prestige at stake with this situation, where you could argue that even a draw would be considered a good result by the Saudis.
Stade Rennais vs. PSG
The final game before the October internationals is the traditional struggle away at Rennes in Brittany, which will complete an away day tripleheader featuring Clermont, arguably PSG’s least complicated opponents in this coming month. Bruno Genesio’s side are a tough outfit and have given the men from the capital problems these past few years, so an intact unbeaten run post-Roazhon Park would qualify as impressive in Paris. That may already be off the table by the time the game rolls around, but should it still be intact by the next international break, the argument that PSG are growing under Luis Enrique will grow in credence.