Paris Saint-Germain's struggles to open the new season persisted Friday with a 2-1 home defeat to Monaco, marking their worst start to a league campaign in 19 years. The loss leaves the reigning French and European champions in 12th place in the Ligue 1 standings after only three matches.
Since winning the European Super Cup against Aston Villa, PSG have suffered defeats in the French Super Cup and against Monaco, alongside draws with Rennes and Lille. This run has placed significant scrutiny on several key players, including goalkeeper Matvei Safonov and defenders Willian Pacho and Marquinhos, as well as Achraf Hakimi.
French publication L'Equipe has reportedly described Safonov as "indecisive" and criticized the central defensive pairing of Pacho and Marquinhos. The team has conceded eight goals in five matches across all competitions, with reports suggesting a "physical deficit" is evident.
Club captain Marquinhos, a long-serving player for PSG since 2013, has reportedly struggled this season. While he scored PSG's opening goal against Monaco, his defensive performance has drawn criticism, with his displays and those of Pacho being labeled "sluggish." The midfield duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha have also faced criticism for their slow recovery runs, which are said to be impacting the team's defensive organization.
Safonov, in particular, has conceded six goals from nine shots on target in Ligue 1, with a perceived vulnerability to shots at his near post. The team's performances have been compounded by manager Luis Enrique's new rotation policy, which has seen prominent players like Ousmane Dembele start matches on the bench. New signing Lucas Digne was also left out of the squad for the Monaco match, despite first-choice left-back Nuno Mendes being suspended.
"It will be a different trend this season," Enrique stated, explaining that three players will be left out of the squad for each match. "We have to get used to seeing important players left off the list."
PSG's immediate focus now shifts to their Champions League campaign, where they aim for a third consecutive title. Their European quest begins at home on Wednesday against Slovan Bratislava.