A week ago, Paris Saint-Germain’s bizarre start to the Ligue 1 season could still be viewed in a positive light. As I wrote after their 2-2 draw at Lille, PSG had twice fallen two goals behind in their opening two league games and twice found a way back, first against Rennes and then with two stoppage-time goals at Lille. It was remarkable resilience, but it also raised an obvious question: were the defending champions taking the competition they have dominated for years for granted?
Friday night’s 2-1 home defeat to Monaco makes that question considerably harder to dismiss. PSG finally got themselves in front through Marquinhos, who scored for the second straight league game, but Monaco responded with goals from Flávio Nazinho and Stanis Idumbo to complete the comeback. Instead of another late escape, PSG suffered their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season and remain without a win after three games, with just two points from a possible nine.
That still isn’t a crisis. But it is becoming a trend worth watching.
PSG’s Slow Start Is Getting Harder to Explain Away
There were good reasons to be patient with PSG after the first two draws. The club has undergone changes during the summer, while Luis Enrique said his team had been affected by a shortened preseason. Their opening fixtures also included Rennes and Lille, two opponents capable of making life difficult for any team in France. Most importantly, PSG had shown the character to rescue points when things went wrong, something Enrique praised after the Lille comeback.
Monaco exposed the other side of that story. PSG didn’t need to produce another miraculous comeback because they were the team that took the lead, yet they couldn’t protect it once Monaco increased the pressure. That is a different concern from the one raised after the first two games: PSG aren’t simply starting slowly and finding another gear late; they are struggling to control matches for long enough to turn their superior talent into wins.
Is PSG Treating Ligue 1 Differently?
There is still a perfectly reasonable argument that PSG’s league form needs to be viewed in context. This is a team coming off back-to-back Champions League titles, and Enrique has made it clear that building another squad capable of competing on multiple fronts is the priority. His contract extension through 2030, announced before Friday’s match, is another indication that PSG’s ambitions extend well beyond simply collecting another domestic title.
But that explanation only goes so far. PSG can afford to drop points in September, but three matches without a victory is difficult to ignore when it follows the pattern established in the first two games. Monaco, meanwhile, have taken advantage of the opportunity, winning all three of their league matches to move to the top of the table. PSG are almost certainly going to be fine over the course of a 34-game season, but the Monaco defeat changes the question from why are they always falling behind? to why aren’t they finishing teams off when they have the chance?
That is what makes this start so curious. The first two games could be written off as early-season rust and impressive comebacks. Losing at home after taking the lead is harder to frame that way. Maybe PSG really are willing to sacrifice some Ligue 1 sharpness while focusing on Europe, but if that is the plan, Luis Enrique’s team will have to make sure these early points don’t become a problem that follows them into the winter.
Wednesday’s Champions League opener at home to Slovan Bratislava may answer the question about their approach to the UEFA competition compared to Ligue 1.
PSG Lose to Monaco as Their Curious Ligue 1 Start Takes Another Turn