With 13 goals scored in three wins to start the Ligue 1 season, Luis Enrique’s PSG avoided a whole bunch of debates during the first international window. No need to have a player capable of scoring 40 goals to make us forget about Kylian Mbappé, all the attacking players of the Rouge et Bleu have the talent to shake the net in turn. Even if Bradley Barcola started very strongly by scoring four goals in one substitute then two starts – and starting on the left wing. Lee Kang-In and Randal Kolo Muani, themselves, scored twice.
Before returning to the French team on Monday at Clairefontaine, “RKM” scored the third Parisian goal on the Losc pitch (1-3), with a beautiful header on a cross from Désiré Doué, in added time of the game (91st). The former Nantais is nevertheless well established in a role of understudy in the attacking sector. The injury to Gonçalo Ramos’ ankle during the first match in Le Havre, which will deprive the Portuguese center forward of another two and a half months of competition, did not offer a place in the starting eleven to Kolo Muani. The latter remains a luxury joker in the mind of his Asturian coach, Marcos Asensio being now “false number 9”.
Dembélé before Kolo Muani in 9?
If Luis Enrique mentioned Bradley Barcola as a possible centre-forward for the coming months, while the coach has clearly ruled out the recruitment of Victor Osimhen (proposed by Luis Campos), it was Ousmane Dembélé who moved into the centre against the Dogues after Asensio came off in the 65th minute. Désiré Doué came on and found himself a right winger (while he could have occupied the left flank with Barcola tried up front).
Ten minutes later, “Dembouz” gave up his place to Kolo Muani and the latter took his place up front, with Lee Kang-In and Désiré Doué (left) finishing the game on the wings. Luis Enrique’s choice of substitutes is closely followed in every PSG match and the use of Dembélé in the centre, even for a few moments, has not escaped any supporter. The series of matches in the autumn, with the first days of the Champions League, will refine this hierarchy in the offensive sector.
