The 2020-2021 season is an anomaly for Paris Saint-Germain. Realize, the capital club had scattered FC Barcelona (4-1) at the Camp Nou and Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena (3-2). Two major performances away from home, with a great Kylian Mbappé. But apart from these two masterclasses, followed by two complicated return matches at home, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find traces of successful performances by PSG far from its Parc des Princes.
Every year, it’s the same thing. And what was excusable at the start of the QSI era, when PSG discovered itself against the European elite, has not been so for a long time. The trauma of the comeback (6-1 against Barça) of course played a big role in the approach to the big meetings. But when the level rises, when the intensity increases a tone, when the opponent strips himself in front of his own audience, PSG liquefies. We saw it this season against Newcastle. But history repeats itself, and Parisian supporters wake up each season in the shoes of Bill Murray’s version of “One Day Without End”.
The year of the groundhog
In the group as in the knockout phase, an away match means a cold shower. Last season, there was not the slightest hope during the return match against Bayern (0-1), especially since Paris had already displayed its weaknesses away on the Benfica pitch (almost miraculous draw in pool, 1-1). The one before, Manchester City won in the group (2-1), then it was Real Madrid who took advantage of the lack of Parisian character during another traumatic round of 16 (1-3). Every year, the same observation: where is the spirit of revolt when things go wrong?
Against AC Milan yesterday (1-2), after a rather crazy first period where the teams went blow for blow, PSG collapsed following Olivier Giroud’s goal, scored in the 50th minute. As if everyone knew it would be impossible to come back. As if fate caught each player by the collar. A post from Kang-In Lee here, a slip from Dembélé there, and the penalty comes, with another defeat away. Regardless of the squad, the coach, the context, the Parisian club collapses on hostile ground. Character cannot be bought, and this constancy in external mediocrity becomes more than exasperating, despairing.
Marquinhos still drags his lack of character, Kylian Mbappé disappears in a worrying way when success flees him, the new midfielder looks his age (22 years old for Ugarte, 17 for Zaire-Emery), and here is the new Parisian project which already reveals all its deficiencies. The lightness in the duels and the absence of revolt condemn, at present, any hope of final victory in the premier competition. This is good, it is supposedly no longer the obsession of the Parisian club.
