Christophe Galtier returns to his counterattacking best to revive PSG
“P
lanet Mbappé” read the headline of this morning’s l’Équipe. It has seemed for some time that this is his world and we are all just living in it, especially after his performances at the World Cup. But just as it looked like he could not burnish his status as the world’s best footballer any more, he showed again on Sunday evening that there is always another level to his game.
Not only did he score a brace for PSG in their 3-0 win against Marseille at the Vélodrome to go level with Edinson Cavani as the club’s joint all-time top scorer, but he also set up Lionel Messi for the other goal and terrorised the Marseille defence throughout. Admittedly, the absence of Samuel Gigot and Chancel Mbemba helped Mbappé slice through the hosts’ midfield and back three, but PSG were also missing key players.
They were not big favourites before this match. Their form has been wobbly at best since the World Cup, winning just six of their 10 league matches, being knocked out of the Coupe de France by Marseille three weeks ago and losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 tie in the Champions League.
The club has been roiled by rumours of infighting and they went to the Vélodrome without Neymar, Renato Sanches and Achraf Hakimi. A win for Marseille would have taken them within two points of the leaders, who were also looking over their shoulders at Monaco and Lens before they dropped points earlier in the weekend. There has been a palpable sense of worry at PSG of late, with the ropy nature of their win over Lille last weekend fresh in the mind.
Having Kylian Mbappé and Messi gives any team a chance, but there was a feeling that their depleted team would capitulate in the boiling atmosphere of the Vélodrome, blowing the title race well and truly open. That did not happen, largely due to Christophe Galtier’s tactics. Despite their investment in the QSI era, PSG have always been at their best as a counterattacking side – especially since Mbappé arrived. Their midfield engine, Marco Verratti, breaks up opponents’ play and knits it together for his own side going forward. At the back, Marquinhos, relatively fleet of foot for a centre-back, has been a calming presence, and the two were the through line for the club’s dominance over the years.
Christophe Galtier and Marquinhos have a chat. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
This season, though, Marquinhos looked to have taken a step back. Still only 28, the Brazilian has been forced to play alongside a constantly changing cadre of defensive partners and looked mentally shellshocked at times, a situation hardly helped by his own goal in the World Cup against Croatia. Verratti has had a decent season but, between suspension and injury, had only started three league games in 2023, with last week’s victory over Lille the only time PSG had recorded a win this year with him in the side.
Given the absences of Neymar, the dynamic Sanches (who has been a regular when fit, Galtier clearly trusting the midfielder from their time together at Lille) and Hakimi, the manager opted to play a 3-5-2 against Marseille. Galtier was comfortable with his team ceding possession – as he had been during his successful spells with Lille and Saint-Étienne – and the formation allowed Verratti and Marquinhos more space and time to anticipate Marseille’s forays into their half, the team adopting a compact, deep shape defensively.
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Marseille had plenty of the ball but did little with it, save a spurned chance or two early in the game. It may pain PSG fans to hear it, but this version of PSG has much in common with Galtier’s sides at Sainté, albeit with more talent. The pace of Mbappé and the creativity of Messi are world class, but there are clear parallels with the relationship between Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romain Hamouma a decade ago, or between Hamouma and Max-Alain Gradel two years later.
Galtier may lack experience at the highest level, but this match has hopefully shown him the value of sticking to his principles. He has proven their value for more than a decade in Ligue 1, and they should guide PSG for the rest of the season, especially with Neymar a doubt for some time. It may not please some fans, but the results surely will, especially with their tie against Bayern Munich still well within reach. On the evidence of their 3-0 win in Marseille, a bit more of this old-school Galtier could be the tonic needed to revive what looked like becoming a moribund, wasted season for the team.
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Talking points
Terem Moffi celebrates after scoring for Nice in their 3-0 win over Monaco. Photograph: Valéry Hache/AFP/Getty Images
We’ve been unstinting in our praise of Monaco this season. Philippe Clement’s side did admirably to shake off a gutting Champions League elimination in what was essentially preseason, and slowly climbed the table while balancing a crowded fixture list and showing admirable resilience. On Sunday, though, the rigours of a busy fixture list finally caught up with them and they were thumped 3-0 by in-form rivals Nice. Monaco were weakened by injuries, illness and having played 120 minutes in the week, so this may only be a momentary setback. Out of the Coupe de France and Europe, they remain well positioned to push for a return to the Champions League, something that seemed very unlikely in early September.
Monaco were one of the beneficiaries of Lens’ surprising draw at Montpellier. Despite missing Téji Savanier and Elye Wahi, the hosts turned in a resolute performance to go six points clear of the drop, a massive testament to the strong relationship between returning manager Michel der Zakarian and this team. A push for Europe is too tall of an order this season, but the zest seen in his previous spell at the club seems to be coming back slowly, giving neutrals another side to follow.
Finally, a word for Auxerre. They struggled for much of the season, their summer signings failing to click, and they decided to replace long-time manager Jean-Marc Furlan with Christophe Pélissier. After some encouraging results, they promptly lost seven matches in a row. However, with time to bed in some January loan signings, they have now gone unbeaten in four games and climbed out of the bottom four. The arrival of young loanees such as Han-Noah Massengo, Matthis Abline and Isaak Touré has helped, as has the Romanian goalkeeper Ionut Radu, who has looked assured behind a three-man defence. Auxerre are hardly out of the woods yet, but their recent improvements offer a firm reminder of Pélissier’s talent as a manager.
Pos Team P GD Pts
1 PSG 25 39 60
2 Marseille 25 23 52
3 Monaco 25 19 50
4 Lens 25 19 50
5 Rennes 25 17 46
6 Lille 25 13 44
7 Nice 25 12 41
8 Lorient 25 2 39
9 Lyon 25 11 38
10 Reims 25 7 37
11 Toulouse 25 -4 32
12 Clermont Foot 25 -9 31
13 Nantes 25 -5 28
14 Montpellier 25 -10 27
15 Strasbourg 25 -13 22
16 Auxerre 25 -26 21
17 AC Ajaccio 25 -26 21
18 Brest 25 -16 20
19 Troyes 25 -21 19
20 Angers 25 -32 10
This is an article from Get French Football News
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