Football: Paris Rising

Their position is even more impressive when you consider that they travelled to the Nou Camp in their 2nd match, digging out a remarkable 2-1 win at the side that pushed them in last year’s epic semifinal tie. Enrique- who had already won Europe’s biggest prize during the MSN era of Barcelona- will be looking to make PSG the first side (not named Real Madrid) to win back-to-back European Cups since AC Milan in 1989-1990. And it looks like his effervescent squad are primed to pull it off.

Pre-season jitters

Let’s just take a moment to look at how disruptive PSG’s start to the season was. They essentially had no pre-season, reaching the final of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup (where they looked jaded against a reinvigorated Chelsea). They then had the UEFA Super Cup to contend with, managing to beat Spurs on penalties to add more silverware to the chest. Enrique also adopted a frugal approach in the transfer market, bringing in the low-profile trio of Chevalier, Zabarnyi and Marin (a stark contrast to the Galactico transfer policies of the past decade).

Mounting injuries

PSG started the season quite promisingly, winning their first four matches in all competitions. But injuries than started to take their toll on the squad (which was likely attributable to their complete lack of pre-season normality). They went into that Champions League trip against Barcelona without the services of Ruiz, Neves, Kvaratskhelia, Dembéllé, Doué and Marquinhos. But Enrique’s squad had the depth and energy to mitigate that shortfall (though they did drop points in several winnable Ligue A games). I personally think that Enrique knows that he can gain ground in the latter stages of the league campaign and has shuffled his deck, prioritizing his three Champions League meetings.

Sharing the goals

Speaking of injuries, Enrique was without ballon d’or winner Ousmane Dembéllé for the opening chapter of this season. The Frenchman was a revelation last year, scoring 35 goals and creating 14 assists across all competitions. He transitioned effortlessly from the wing to the no-9 role, emulating compatriot Thierry Henry. Enrique’s side shared the goal-scoring burden in Dembéllé’s absence, with four PSG players sitting on two goals in the current Champions League goal-scoring charts. Still, Enrique will be delighted with the Frenchman’s return to action this week (he scored just three minutes after coming on as a 2nd half substitute in Leverkusen).

Historic away night

Tuesday night was a monumental night for Enrique’s side, marking the first night in the club’s history that they scored seven goals in an away game. The Parisians have now equalled their longest ever winning run in top-flight European competition (6 wins). Even more impressive than it, it was- at 23 years and 45 days- the youngest starting lineup they have ever fielded in a Champions League tie. That youthful effervescence did give way to a few lapses in concentration, but they ultimately had far too much for a beleaguered Leverkusen.

Midfield masterclass masks defensive blunders

I was particularly impressed with how they performed in the midfield area. PSG were without the injured Neves and Ruiz, mainstays of last year’s Champions League winning campaign. But they utterly dominated that area of the pitch, with midfield colossus Vitinha completing an incredible 125 of 127 passes. Malulu and Zaïre-Emery deputized ably for the missing midfield duo, giving the likes of Doué and Kvaratsskhelia the freedom to run Leverkusen ragged. Enrique will be slightly frustrated with the defensive disasterclass of Ilya Zabarnyi, who was sent off before halftime for giving away two silly penalties. Luckily for Enrique, Marquinhos appears to be very close to a return to first-team action. I really think this PSG side has a genuine chance of creating history. They seem to perfectly balance the physical, no-nonsense grit of a Diego Simeone side with the attacking exuberance of prime Barcelona.