The defending French Football League champion, Paris Saint-Germain, is counting on the third round, for a real start on the field, after a successful and record transfer market outside its walls, when it faces leaders Monaco on Friday at home, days before the start of the campaign to defend its title in the Champions League.
Although the Parisian team, led by Spaniard Luis Enrique, had previously experienced a faltering start to the season, due to the crowded seasons of matches and the incomplete preparatory period, the team is expected to achieve victory at the Parc des Princes stadium. Any result other than victory against the Emirate Club will plant doubts in the hearts of the two-time European champion in a row, six days before it enters the league stage in the most expensive competition on the Old Continent, against Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia.
The French champion has not yet achieved any victory in the league, and enters this year’s competitions as the most prominent candidates to win it, for the sake of the 15th star. But this faltering start for the Parisians began to raise questions. The capital club's last victory dates back to August 12, when it won the European Super Cup at the expense of England's Aston Villa (2-1).
Since then, Lens overthrew them in the French Super Cup (1-0), and they fell into the trap of drawing twice with the same score (2-2) in the league against both Rennes and Lille, although they succeeded in returning in the last breath of both matches, after falling behind by two goals each time.
More time is needed for the Parisians to regain their high pressing and distinctive style of play, whether mobile or deep.
It is worth noting that the new signings: Spaniard Ferran Torres, Luca Digne, Belgian Mika Godets, and Magnus Akliush, are still in the process of adapting, and the team’s pillars must also gradually regain their level after their participation in the 2026 World Cup.
All the team members participated in training sessions open to the media at the team center in Poissy (a suburb of Paris) on Thursday, including Ousmane Dembélé, who had a “rest” period last week.
Successfully completing Friday's mission on the field could herald a successful summer (transfer market) outside it.
In terms of the Mercato, the club achieved record sales, supervised by the trio: Portuguese sports advisor Luis Campos, coach Luis Enrique, and Qatari President Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
With the departure of his winger, Bradley Barkola, a source close to the club confirmed, “Paris Saint-Germain recorded a positive financial outcome in the Mercato, amounting to 172.1 million euros (about 200 million dollars, which Barkola’s deal falls within, and does not include the deal for the departure of Senegalese Ibrahim Mbaye), in parallel with its continued strengthening of its ranks.”
He stressed that the team succeeded in balancing its sporting ambitions with its adherence to the rules of financial fair play.
He continued: “This deal (Barcola) reflects Paris Saint-Germain’s ability to develop players and their market value, while maintaining competitiveness at the high level in Europe.”
He explained: “Because, with the exception of the goalkeeper who changed between the two finals, the club kept in its ranks the ten main players who participated in the last two Champions League finals.”
He also sold Portuguese Goncalo Ramos to Milan in a deal amounting to 74 million euros, which could reach 90 with bonuses. Randall Kolo Mwani also left the club to Juventus of Italy for 38 million euros, in addition to bonuses, and South Korean Lee Kang-in to Atletico Madrid of Spain for an amount of about 40 million euros, without bonuses.
These deals culminated in Mercato, who won the French League 14 times, as all the players leaving were from the bench.
The purpose of restructuring this bench is also evident in Luis Enrique's desire to renew the team so that it can continue to dominate football locally and in Europe.
The former Barcelona coach said last week: “We are looking to find players that we believe are suitable for certain matches, but to win titles, you need 23 players, not 11.”
The Spaniard added: “It is necessary for the new players to realize that they have joined the champion of the last two Champions League editions, but they have the ambition to play. It's easy to make changes when you lose, but it's difficult when you win. The key is to keep the same mentality.”
On Sunday, Marseille will host Paris FC, second in the league, with the aim of restoring confidence, after losing to Monaco in the last round.
Coach Bruno Genesio's team enters deprived of its mainstay, Central African Republic midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, after a disappointing transfer market in which the South team lost prominent players, without succeeding in replacing them.
For its part, Lyon seeks to make amends when it hosts Auxerre on Friday, after its draw last week against Le Havre, and its exit from the Champions League playoff against Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Before entering the competition itself, Lance is looking for a dose of confidence, after his draw in the last round, when he hosts Lorient on Saturday.
Lille, its neighbor to the north, opens the round on Thursday with a match against Toulouse, after a disappointing draw at home against Saint-Germain last week.
