Paris Saint-Germain, despite undergoing significant transformations during the summer, has shown signs of rejuvenation as a cohesive unit following their resounding 4-1 victory against Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday.
The French champions have long relied on the brilliance of individual stars in recent years. However, the profound changes made this season to the squad, now built solidly around Kylian Mbappé, seem poised to rewrite PSG’s narrative. Luis Enrique’s side has conquered Lens and Lyon, two of Ligue 1’s stronger teams, with a combined score of seven goals to two in their opening two fixtures.
This comes after PSG managed to score only once against Lorient and Toulouse, mostly without Neymar, although he did score from a penalty kick in PSG’s 1-1 draw with TFC. There were doubts that the French forward would improve the Parisian side and blend new elements together, but it seems these concerns have dissipated.
Mbappé netted two goals against Lyon, with Marco Asensio and Achraf Hakimi also finding the net at the Groupama Stadium. However, this victory was unlike those of the past, which often relied heavily on individual brilliance. Luis Enrique has his new group of players working diligently together on the pitch, and the rapid progress made under the Spanish tactician in a short time has been underscored by Mbappé’s return.
The draws against Lorient and Toulouse were not necessarily poor performances but were simply missing the goals that PSG has been known to score. With Mbappé back in the lineup, that has changed. This was the first time the capital club took the field knowing that no further additions would be made to the squad ahead of their next fixture, following a late flurry of transactions.
Bradley Barcola, who made his debut in the final 15 minutes against his former club about 72 hours after leaving them, and Randal Kolo Muani have completed Luis Campos’ targeted market attack. Other players may still depart as business opportunities remain in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as Georginio Wijnaldum demonstrated over the weekend by joining Al Ettifaq, but the arrivals are done.
Now, Luis Enrique is tasked with shaping the lineup to fit his vision of how this PSG can be stronger than its previous iterations, and the early signs are positive heading into the international break. Mbappé may still be the primary scorer, with five goals in three appearances, but he now has genuine depth in quality options as well as different profiles.
However, perhaps the most notable changes for the French giants lie outside the attacking positions. The summer arrival from Sporting CP, Manuel Ugarte, is quickly elevating Marco Verratti to new heights with his first performances, alongside prodigies Warren Zaire Emery and Vitinha.
There’s also an improved backline thanks to the introductions of Milan Skriniar and Lucas Hernandez, both part of the reinforced French core in the team. Further changes will come when players like Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe are fully fit and ready to play. Clearly, this is a different PSG than the one under Christophe Galtier, Mauricio Pochettino, or Thomas Tuchel.
Bigger challenges await in the domestic and continental seasons, with Lyon and Lens both experiencing poor starts and a challenging UEFA Champions League group on the horizon. However, Luis Enrique and this new Parisian outfit are making a positive impression, and even the rare winter transfer window may not disrupt what’s been set in motion until next spring.
Things often look bleak and gloomy during those times, but Mbappé and the newcomers have time to ensure that this promising new dawn is a sustained one. Based on Lens and Lyon’s performances and results in the past week, there is hope that this may not be another false dawn – only time will tell.
