Luis Enrique is a man of challenges. Last year, the Spanish coach did not hesitate to say yes to Paris Saint-Germain after his experience on the bench of La Roja. Very quickly, the capital club was won over by the professionalism and the demands of the former FC Barcelona coach. The latter did not hesitate to part ways with Neymar and Marco Verratti. When Kylian Mbappé was sent to the loft following his conflict with the management, notably Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, he smoothed out the rough edges between the different parties thanks to the help of Luis Campos. Subsequently, he did not hesitate to use the Bondynois less, who was nevertheless his number one offensive asset. But “Lucho” has always put forward the notion of a group, rather than individuals.
While the rumor was growing about the departure of the Bondynois to Real Madrid, he had promised that his team would be better this season. Once the captain of the Blues left for Madrid, he reiterated his speech at the start of the season. “The team leader is the club, it’s PSG. The players are giving their all and I have no doubt that we will be stronger in attack and defense. It’s an exciting challenge, to show that football is a team sport. That’s my goal.” Regarding the fears after the loss of the team’s top scorer, he was very clear: “If someone scores 40 goals, we won’t close the doors. But if we have four players who score 12 goals, that’s 48 goals, so it’s even better.” Luis Enrique wants to turn the page on Mbappé and bet on collective strength. Which is working rather well for the moment.
PSG intrigues
Indeed, the French champions are undefeated in Ligue 1 after 4 days. All with a rejuvenated team, more balanced and with 9 different scorers. Bradley Barcola (4 goals), Ousmane Dembélé (3), Kang-in Lee, Randal Kolo-Muani (2), Marco Asensio, Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz (1) have all found the target. The danger can therefore come from all sides and no longer from one player, who was the focus of everyone’s attention. Despite the loss of Kylian Mbappé, this new-look PSG is off to a good start and inspires a certain fear among our European neighbors, all eager to see what Paris has in store for the Champions League. In Germany, Tobias Feldhoff, journalist for Football Transferstells us about this: “PSG are really impressive so far. Bradley Barcola seems to be freed up now. It is however difficult to anticipate their level in Europe.”
In Italy, the Corriere dello Sport also evokes the Parisian revival. “Mbappé… Who? Kylian said goodbye to Paris but on the pitch, no one seems to miss the champion, who has joined Real Madrid. PSG, in fact, dominated everyone in the first four days of Ligue 1, scoring 16 goals and catapulting themselves, for a change, to the top of the table in their backyard, Ligue 1 (…) The PSG planet is no longer centered on Mbappé but there are many other stars that shine under the Eiffel Tower. Among them, there is also Fabian Ruiz, scorer against Brest, and among the great protagonists of the Spanish triumph in the last European Championships. The ex-Napoli player did not have a happy past with Luis Enrique but the coach had to reconsider his opinion by describing him as “one of the best players in his team.”
A team that impresses
In England, The Athletic also looked into the subject. “In the space of two seasons, the composition of the current Paris Saint-Germain squad has changed radically. Big names have left and 20 new players have arrived. This summer, the influx of newcomers has been less significant than during the major overhaul that marked the start of the Luis Enrique era in 2023, but it has been no less significant due to the departure of Kylian Mbappé. His departure has raised many questions, some of which are still unresolved and may ultimately require a court appearance. So far this year, there do not appear to be any lingering addiction issues. After 4 Ligue 1 games, the French champions have a 100% winning record and an average of four goals per game. They already have several different scorers. Bradley Barcola leads the way with four goals and Ousmane Dembélé has already scored three goals.”
The Athletic adds: “PSG have evolved their squad towards a younger and more sustainable vision, which has been reflected in their recruitment. On the opening day of the season, when PSG beat Le Havre 4-1, they fielded their youngest professional team in their history (22 years and 192 days on average). In addition to recruiting younger players, PSG have focused on players who can play multiple positions. This is Luis Enrique’s stated aim as he seeks to develop his team tactically and improve position rotation and possession dominance (…) There is versatility in PSG’s attacking line. This is reflected in the remarkable arrival of Désiré Doué, who can play in so many attacking roles that it seems remiss to simply label him as a striker. The left wing is now Barcola’s domain and with Dembélé as a solid starter on the opposite flank, they will form the heart of the attack. Both have started the season well.”
Luis Enrique, the boss
The British media concludes: “Marco Asensio and Lee Kang-in are two other players who can slot into any attacking position, including as a number 9. Randal Kolo Muani, a big-money signing last summer, completes the attack. Expect to see all of these players rotate not only between the starting lineup and the bench, but also between different positions during games. That’s the Luis Enrique way.” A subject that has also been addressed in Spain by Brandwho has dissected the Luis Enrique method. The Iberian publication explains that he has been behind many changes, particularly in terms of infrastructure. For example, he had a giant screen installed next to the training ground. All this pleases PSG, who are fully behind their coach.
“He’s the boss”a PSG employee also confided to BrandThe Spanish media added on this specific point: “What Luis Enrique likes most about PSG is that he feels like he can build something new from scratch. He has had the freedom to give continuity to the group, to start from the bottom more and to work on building the stars. He feels he has a power that is impossible to obtain in an institution like Barça.” Involved, “Lucho” is putting his stamp on PSG a little more each day. A club where he feels good and where he wants to succeed in the challenge of making people forget the departure of KM9. For this, he is counting on Ousmane Dembélé in particular. The Parisian explains that he had many private discussions with Dembouz, assuring him that all he needed were goals to be among the best in the world.
Bradley Barcola amazes
In Spain, Brand Dembouz is also very much feared before the C1 clash.“Girona make their Champions League debut this Wednesday against a PSG without Mbappé, but no less dangerous for that. Like Barça, they have had plenty of victories in Ligue 1. With the departure of Kylian and therefore without those 40 goals or more that the Frenchman scored on average, Luis Enrique has made it clear that from this season onwards, his attackers must score more and share the goals. They have scored a total of 16 goals, while conceding three in four matches. Without Gonçalo Ramos, injured for three months, the club has passed on the transfer window and has decided to bet on Kolo Muani as the only pure 9. Marco Asensio, however, is establishing himself as the first option as a false 9, but the coach also wants players like Barcola or Dembélé to improve their stats.”
The Iberian media adds: “The truth is that Luis Enrique has continued to work with Dembélé and it is paying off. He has three goals and three assists in four games and 235 minutes. The coach has asked him to save some dribbles and shoot more. Dembélé, who also scored with France in this last break, was a bet by Luis Enrique himself, who did not hesitate to call him the “best winger in the world” last season, after paying 50 million to Xavi’s Barça. Ousmane was part of the club’s new strategy to recover French footballers. This campaign continues to be the most notable signing of the Asturian, since in this campaign, with the departure of Mbappé, the club has opted to hire lesser-known youngsters but who had no doubts about the project. In a team with an average age of just 23 and after the departure of Kylian, for Luis Enrique the role that Dembélé plays in guiding the young players with the rest of the veterans is also important.”
The Dembélé threat
For Brandhe has everything to recover “the throne left vacant by Mbappé”. The same goes for our colleague from Fichajes.comJuan Carlos Navarro. “The most dangerous player must be Dembélé”he confessed to us. Relevo sees more of a collective than a player capable of making people forget the star of the Blues. “Yes, Kylian Mbappé has left, but Luis Enrique’s PSG looks like a tough team. The Parisians have been wonderfully strengthened by João Neves and Désiré Doué, two gems destined to become top players in a short space of time, and they have one of the most exciting projects in Europe, with a lot of young talents who have already had a lot of success like Nuno Mendes, Barcola or Vitinha.”
Relevo continues: “Without Mbappé, the team could be more adaptable to Luis Enrique’s style, and even if it loses a lot of goals and determination (without Mbappé, ed.), PSG will probably be more compact and resilient. The question remains who will fill Mbappé’s absence on the scorers’ side. Last season, Gonçalo Ramos and Kolo Muani were well below expectations, and the Champions League requires players to appear in hot moments, and that is what PSG will have to solve. A young team and, in many cases, that must demonstrate its level in the Champions League, but with talent and personality.” Everyone will have the first elements of an answer this evening at 9 p.m. against Girona.
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