PSG plays with ’16 stars’ as Luis Enrique looks happier without Kylian Mbappé | Ligue 1

TThere was an unfamiliar atmosphere at the Parc des Princes on Friday night. It didn’t look the same as it used to, it didn’t sound the same. The old Hexagoal Ligue 1 logo had disappeared, replaced by a minimalist successor that, along with the league’s new main sponsor, McDonald’s, adorns the advertising hoardings around the stadium. Then the players took to the pitch, but not to the music of Phil Collins’ Who Said I Would, at least not the original version.

Paris Saint-Germain feared a backlash after the song was replaced and then quickly reinstated in 2021 following outcry from fans. They insisted that a modified, if barely audible, version of the Englishman’s song be played. But then the game started and with it that air of familiarity blew through the stands of the Parc as a French winger broke through on the left and shot into the far corner. No, not Kylian Mbappé, but Bradley Barcola. Continuity and change.

“He represents the present and the future,” said Luis Enrique of Barcola last December. Back then, Mbappé represented the present, but the captain of the French national team was clearly not part of the future. His acrimonious departure to Real Madrid, the consequences of which are still being felt in the salary dispute between the club and the striker, left a gap that many thought impossible to fill.

In some ways, it’s as if Mbappé hasn’t left at all. Luis Enrique continues to be asked about the PSG striker at press conferences and, just as he did when the player was at the club, he answers – or doesn’t – with varying degrees of excitement, an excitement that increases the more questions he is asked about Mbappé; a clear positive correlation.

In Mbappé’s absence, however, Luis Enrique seems – unsurprisingly – happier. Towards the end of last season, when Mbappé’s departure was a given, the Spaniard predicted that PSG would “have a better team if all goes well” this season. A resounding 6-0 victory over Montpellier in The Parisians’ The first home game of the season perhaps justifies his optimism.

“I don’t think you saw a single star, but 16 who fought for Paris Saint-Germain: 16 stars in attack, 16 stars in defence. That is perfection,” said Luis Enrique after the victory. A thinly veiled dig at Mbappé, who is notorious for his poor defensive work? Perhaps.

The same accusations certainly cannot be levelled at Barcola, with Luis Enrique praising the former Lyon striker’s “very good defensive work” after his brace against Montpellier. He scored his first goal with his first touch of the game, showing the deadly speed that made Mbappé such a difficult opponent on the left wing. His second, PSG’s third, was a right-place, right-time goal that Mbappé had become famous for towards the end of his seven-year spell at the club..

But then Barcola did things Mbappé doesn’t do, like winning the ball deep in his own half. One such loss, where he took possession from Téji Savanier, led to a foray to the edge of Montpellier’s box and a pass to the exceptional João Neves, who set up Marco Asensio, who doubled PSG’s lead midway through the first half.

With the hosts leading 5-0, Barcola left the stage, the damage already done. It was a display of recklessness so reminiscent of Mbappé that it didn’t really erase the memory of the Real Madrid striker, but it at least ensured he wasn’t missed at the Parc des Princes.

Barcola is currently one of the top scorers in Ligue 1 with three goals and will Top scorer badge – one of the LFP’s more pointless, game-playing initiatives – on his sleeve next weekend. Whether he can follow in Mbappé’s footsteps and become top scorer is another, but perhaps irrelevant, question. Mbappé was involved in 33% of PSG’s goals in Ligue 1 last season and while Barcola may not match Mbappé’s output, perhaps he doesn’t need to.

Mbappé scored a hat-trick in PSG’s 6-2 win over Montpellier in March, but there was a certain chaos, a lack of control, especially in the first half, which his absence might remedy. And in his absence, others are stepping in: not just Barcola, but also Lee Kang-in, Asensio and Ousmane Dembélé. As a group, they are certainly capable of making up for Mbappé’s deficit.

With ten goals in two games, PSG is in its usual top position in Ligue 1. Although the victories were achieved against two strong relegation candidates such as Le Havre and Montpellier, it is already clear that even without Mbappé it will be difficult to displace PSG from the top spot.

Discussion points

• In rather blunt terms, John Textor announced Lyon’s desire to challenge the mighty PSG this season. “We hope to kick their asses,” said the American, who tempered his optimism somewhat amid the joy of their dramatic rise from the relegation zones to a Europa League place in just over three months last season. “We have to compete against Qatar in France. I’m competing with a country, not an owner,” he added in an interview that did little to ease tensions between him and PSG. Despite a summer of spending and an opting for stability and continuity by hiring miracle worker Pierre Sage as permanent coach, Lyon have failed to deliver on their promises. With two consecutive defeats, five goals conceded and no goals scored, that wave of optimism has evaporated.

• Lyon were outclassed by Monaco, with whom there is currently a significant difference in quality. With Marseille dropping points this weekend, the club from the principality, which celebrated its 100th anniversary with a 2-0 win on Saturday, currently looks best placed to break PSG’s dominance of French football.

• It seemed a big challenge for Brest to repeat last year’s historic success and claim a podium place. Although they have qualified for the Champions League, they are a significantly weaker team than the one that finished last season. A return to the so-called abdominal muscles, in mid-table Ligue 1, seemed more likely than possible. Their opening performances have done nothing to allay fears of a dizzying slide. With seven goals conceded and just one goal of their own, Eric Roy’s team currently sit bottom of Ligue 1. “The players have to recognise their current level and they all have to take a look at themselves… there are a lot of players who were here last season who are not playing at the level they were last season,” Roy said. With two defeats to Marseille and Lens, there is cause for concern but not yet a crisis. That would change, however, if they fail to get a result against relegation candidates Saint-Étienne this weekend.

• The difference between Liam Rosenior’s and Patrick Vieira’s Strasbourg is like night and day. The latter’s negative, defensive-minded approach was replaced by a more positive, intense and forceful style that the latter quickly established. Given Rosenior’s late arrival and the extremely young team, the speed with which he has revolutionised the team is The Alsatians’ Their style of play is nothing short of miraculous. A draw in their first game against Montpellier at Mosson – a difficult venue – showed promise and they built on that, beating Rennes 3-1, who had swept Lyon off the pitch the weekend before. “The secret is to treat them like adults and that’s what I’ve done since I arrived,” said Rosenior. He has already gotten more out of Strasbourg in a month than Vieira did in a year at the helm.