Paris Saint-Germain was once known as one of the most ambitious teams in Europe thanks to strong financial support from Qatari owners. However, this season, PSG seems to have lost that position.
The recent 0-1 defeat to Bayern Munich pushed the French team down to 26th place in the Champions League rankings. With three remaining matches against Red Bull Salzburg, Man City and Stuttgart, the possibility of the Parc des Princes team winning a ticket to the next round becomes more fragile than ever.
Captain Luis Enrique has repeatedly emphasized that PSG is in the process of rebuilding. However, what this team has shown shows more instability than progress. The glamorous period with the presence of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Sergio Ramos has come to an end, but this change seems to have gone too far. The current Ligue 1 champions lack sharpness and efficiency, clearly shown by scoring only 3 goals in 5 matches in the Champions League this season.
After the loss to Bayern, the French press did not hesitate to criticize PSG. L'Equipe called it a "disappointment" and described Les Parisiens as a "no longer present" club in Europe. The reason is pointed out not only the players but also the tactics and approach of coach Luis Enrique, who has only won 6 out of 17 Champions League matches since taking charge.
The match at the Allianz Arena saw PSG take the field without a true centre-forward. Players like Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola were given the responsibility of leading the attack but did not create many threats.
In addition, other strikers coming off the bench such as Gonçalo Ramos and Marco Asensio are not much better. The situation got even worse when Dembele received a red card early in the second half and put PSG in a difficult position.
Not only lacking individuals who can make a breakthrough, the Paris team also showed a clear inferiority to Bayern, both in terms of individual skills and organization. Players like Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman of the "Gray Tigers" showed their superiority both with and without the ball, something PSG could not catch up with.
The Parc des Princes team is currently leading Ligue 1 by 6 points, but their form in the European arena is another story. In previous years, PSG had confidently switched between the two arenas and only failed at the most stressful times. However, this season, they have had difficulty right from the group stage.
Luis Enrique could citation the time-consuming reconstruction and PSG's goal of building a younger, stronger squad for the future. However, patience is rare in top-flight football, especially when expensive signings like Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani have failed to meet expectations. The duo have only made two official appearances this season.
Another important factor is the change in goalkeeper position. Matvei Safonov, a summer signing from Krasnodar, was given the opportunity to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma in the match against Bayern. However, Safonov's mistake directly led to PSG's only goal.
The loss to Bayern was just part of a bigger picture. PSG are not only struggling tactically but also lacking important mental elements. Luis Enrique has had success with possession-based play at Barcelona but is struggling to apply this philosophy to a team with individuals who are not experienced and of high class in the European arena.
PSG have been knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic matches but are now facing the risk of their most disastrous exit in many years. Rebuilding is necessary. However, the current way of doing things and results show that the Ligue 1 champions will find it very difficult to rise up in the continental arena.
