Paris Saint - Germain
Who is Paris Saint-Germain?
The Ligue 1 juggernaut celebrated its seventh title win in early April after romping to a 7-1 victory over their closest rivals Monaco. It was a stunning display of attacking football and further cemented the Parisians’ place at the summit of the French game.
Paris Saint-Germain has now won five league titles in the last six seasons as well as five consecutive Coupe de Ligue trophies. As a club it has also won the last three Coupe de France competitions.
Since buying the club back in 2011, Oryx Qatar Sports Investments has turned it into a global force to be reckoned with and in the summer of 2017 broke the world transfer record by acquiring Brazilian superstar Neymar for $262million.
Playing Style
PSG is perhaps the most dominant club side across Europe’s top five leagues. No team has scored more goals (103) or had more possession (62.6 percent) than Unai Emery’s men. And it’s a testament to the former Sevilla manager, who has managed to find a system to get the best out of a number of key players.
Julian Draxler has reinvented himself as a box-to-box midfielder, while Giovani Lo Celso has been deployed in more of a withdrawn role and is thriving.
Emery has found a way to get as many attacking players in the starting XI without it having a negative impact on the balance of the team due to how authoritative they are in possession.
He’s filled his team with creative forces in central areas of the pitch and it’s why the goals are free-flowing.
The ICC tournament gives PSG an opportunity to test itself against the very best in Europe. Games against Bayern Munich and Arsenal should be end-to-end, while the match against Atletico Madrid allows Emery to unleash his attacking force against one of the best defensive units in the world.
Key Players
The Ligue 1 side has a squad littered with stars. Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria, Marco Verratti, Marquinhos and Thiago Silva would all get into the majority of elite teams across Europe, but Neymar is the jewel in PSG’s crown.
The Brazilian is the hub for the Parisians. Not only has he scored 19 goals in 20 appearances before injury in March, he tops Ligue 1 for assists with 13 and leads the way for successful take-ons, big chances created and accurate through balls.
PSG is a very Neymar-centric team, but that’s a good thing for those hoping to see a show at the International Champions Cup. The Samba star is one of football’s great entertainers.