Paris St. Germain has gotten off to a historically poor start to the new Ligue 1 season. However, head coach Luis Enrique sees no reason to panic following the 1-2 loss to AS Monaco.
What on earth is going on with Paris St. Germain? After winning the UEFA Super Cup final against Europa League champion Aston Villa (2-1), the reigning French champions initially seemed to be picking up right where they left off after successfully defending their Champions League title. Since then, however, the record champions have been struggling.
While the 0-1 loss to RC Lens in the national Super Cup about three weeks ago could perhaps still be attributed to the aftereffects of the short summer break, critics might now say that the team—which has dominated all of Europe in recent years—is facing its first real crisis under head coach Luis Enrique.
Three games, no wins, and 12th place in Ligue 1. The recent 1–2 loss to the still-unbeaten AS Monaco in the first home game of the new season sealed the worst start to a season in 14 years. The last time PSG went winless in its first three games was during the 2012–13 season, when the team started with three draws.
Enrique, whose contract—along with those of five other players—had been ceremoniously extended long-term before kickoff, sees no reason to panic. “I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen,” the 56-year-old Spaniard summed up, urging patience. “It’s only the start of the season. We’re not in top form yet, but we deserved this win.”
The statistics also show that not everything was bad that evening: 23 shots on goal, 757 passes, nearly 70 percent possession, and an xGoal value of 2.32. Monaco, with just four shots on goal and an xGoal value of 0.51, had the upper hand only in terms of efficiency. “How am I supposed to explain that? Soccer is sometimes inexplicable,” Enrique said, referring to the vagaries of the sport, and made it clear: “That’s soccer—a lousy sport. I saw a lot of positive things.”
The coach was particularly pleased with the team’s mentality and is confident that the club will turn things around soon. “It’s going to be an exciting league season.” To back up this point, it’s worth taking a look at the history books. After all, even in the 2012–13 season—which got off to a rocky start—PSG ultimately clinched the title in commanding fashion, finishing ahead of AS Monaco.
“We have to prepare for the future,” is Enrique’s directive. In any case, Le Rouge et Bleu doesn’t have much time to lick its wounds. The new Champions League season kicks off this coming Wednesday with a must-win match against Slovan Bratislava.