Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning European champions, find themselves in an unusual predicament: they are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 this season, trailing Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg. Despite averaging 72.5% possession, their forwards have struggled to convert dominance into goals.
Manager Luis Enrique acknowledged the frustration after a 1-0 win over Nice, where PSG had 76.5% possession and made 760 passes to Nice's 182. Yet the only goal came from substitute Gonçalo Ramos in the 85th minute. 'It's both beautiful and frustrating,' Enrique said, noting his team's difficulty against low-block defences.
Key attackers have underperformed. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé has just five goals in 12 games after a hamstring injury, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is yet to score in the league. Bradley Barcola, PSG's top scorer overall, has only one goal in his last eight matches. Désiré Doué is sidelined until January with a thigh injury.
Ramos, who has scored 18 of his 38 PSG goals as a substitute, joked about his 'finisher' role. 'Why do I score so many goals off the bench? Simply because I come off the bench more than I start,' he said after his late winner. Enrique now faces a decision on whether to start the centre-forward more regularly.
