PSG IN THE SHADOWS

Coming into the new season as the champions, Paris St Germain have been overshadowed by newer rivals Monaco. The team were promoted to the top division only in the summer but they have spent close to £ 150 million in improving the squad. This seems to have paid off because they have made a great start to the season under Claudio Ranieri. Monaco and PSG will be coming up against each other during the weekend in what promises to be the clash of the titans in French football. PSG come into the match on the back of a victory against Olympiakos in the Champions league.

It was a comfortable victory for the last season’s quarter-finalists, but manager Laurent Blanc thinks that the game against Monaco will be a much bigger test for his team. Monaco already lead his PSG team by two points in the table and they could extend their lead even further if they win the match this weekend. Hence, it is priority number one for Blanc to avoid defeat, while he will also be looking to win the match as well. A victory will put the current champions on top of the table. PSG started the season slowly under Blanc, but they have been improving with every match.

“The closer the match, the more excitement will rise, it will be an interesting encounter to play for both teams. Monaco will want to win, they are one of the best teams. The speed with which they found that cohesion is impressive. They recruited great players like Falcao, (Eric) Abidal, (Ricardo) Carvalho. I saw them against Marseille, and they played a good match. When there are good players, it does not necessarily mean you have to wait several years to get results,” said the former Bordeaux manager ahead of the Monaco clash.