A quick quiz question to end the year.
Does anybody really think a side, other than Paris St Germain, will win the French Ligue 1 title this term?
The answer is, of course not.
There are few sides in Europe, let alone France, that can boost the incredible resources of the Parisiens and that is likely to help them secure a third successive league crown and an eighth in the past decade.
If you still think otherwise, or are an optimistic follower of some of the challengers, consider this.
Nice, the side currently in second place – the league is now enjoying a brief sojourn at its halfway point – have won 10, drawn five and lost two of their opening 17 league matches.
Their defence has been the best in the league during the first half of the campaign with just nine goals conceded – the ‘coup de grace’.
In the articulate words of my SBOTOP colleague, their rearguard has been their magnum opus, their bread and butter, their calling card – undeniably, unequivocally, and undisputedly.
The Bulwark, created by promising young coach Francesco Farioli, has been scourging Ligue 1 teams all season long.
And it still hasn’t been enough!
That is my point.
In most years that points tally and defensive record would have been enough to be top of the table, but not anymore.
Even Monaco in third place have only tasted defeat on four occasions, as have Brest in fourth and Marseille in sixth, while fifth placed Lille have actually just lost three – although the record of seven draws from 17 matches has hampered them.
However, the point I’m making is that even Nice are five points off the pace at this stage and, if you combine the goal difference of the teams in second, third and fifth places, their goal difference is only equal to the leaders.
Furthermore, apart from last term when they finished just a point clear of Lens (although the title was sealed before the end of the campaign), the gap between PSG and their nearest rivals has read 15 points, 12 points, 16 points and 13 points in recent season. Not even close.
That is what the French teams are competing against nowadays and explains why only twice in the last 12 years have sides other than PSG been crowned French champions.
Look at the Ligue 1 betting odds and you will see PSG are backed @ 1.03 with Nice @ 17.00, Monaco @ 34.00 and then it gets so unlikely to even warrant a punt with Marseille and Lille @ 80.00 and @ 81.00 respectively.
It is to the detriment that, even winning their domestic title, now gives PSG little kudos for it is such an uneven playing field they are judged in Europe and Europe alone.
Real Sociedad await in the last 16 of the Champions League, incidentally, so the draw has been fairly kind to them.
You suspect they will need that good fortune too because the smart money is on star man Kylian Mbappe departing next summer, even if the relationship with him and new boss Luis Enrique has the potential for style and success.
Perhaps the speculation is unfounded as even the French captain himself has vehemently denied contract negotiations with Spanish giants Real Madrid have already begun.
Perhaps this can be the year PSG use their resources to their advantage because Mbappe certainly has a good supporting cast – more substance than in recent years.
The club’s busy summer saw them spend big in the transfer market once again, such as €150 million on Bayern Munich’s Lucas Hernandez, Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon, South Korean Lee Kang-in from Mallorca and French striker Hugo Ekitike, who was signed after a loan spell (€ 28.5 million).
On top of free transfer arrivals Marco Asensio and Martin Skriniar, it made for a fresh influx of talent in the French capital.
Asensio even turned down the opportunity to extend his contract with Real Madrid after seeing his place as a starter diminish last season.
Ligue 1 highlights have duly followed but, as I say, that will never be enough in the eyes of many.
Mbappe has never hidden the fact that his main objective is to win the Champions League with PSG. His attachment to the Parisian club is because of the project and not so much with short-term results.
But how do you define long-term?
Mbappe has been with the club since 2017 and, the 2020 final aside, PSG have not been close to being top dogs in Europe.
His magic and the PSG power play may shine in Ligue 1 but is domestic dominance enough to keep him content?
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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