PSG Continue to stutter but Pastore is Improving in Ibrahimovics Absence: In some ways Sundays match was a case of deja vu for the French champions, who threw away yet another lead, but Javier Pastore is getting his swagger back Paris Saint-Germain might have preserved their unbeaten Ligue 1 record this season, but their 1-1 home draw against Monaco has simply raised more questions about the team’s attitude. Laurent Blanc’s men snatched a late lead through Lucas Moura against determined opponents who turned in their best performance of the campaign to date, yet calamitous defending from makeshift centre-back duo David Luiz and Zoumana Camara allowed teenage substitute Anthony Martial to steal in for an ugly late leveller. That goal undoubtedly overshadows the continued renaissance of Javier Pastore in the PSG side, where the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has allowed him to flourish in his favoured No.10 role. Without the injured Swede, Blanc could deploy a 4-4-2 diamond system, which offered the Argentine the time and space he needed to positively influence the match. When Monaco’s defence was belatedly broken after more than 70 minutes of painstaking work, it was inevitably the former Palermo star who was at the heart of matters, slipping in Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, who in turn squared for Lucas, another man reinvigorated of late, to score. Blanc has been criticised for his predictable in-game changes this season, but his critics were answered to some extent as Bahebeck had arrived off the bench and had moments earlier switched flanks with the Brazilian attacker in what was now a 4-2-3-1 from the hosts – a decisive move. But it seems that when PSG take one step forward this season, they must take another back. This is best illustrated by the fact that they have led in seven of their nine Ligue 1 matches this term but have closed out only three successfully, on four times ceding the ascendancy to draw (and the same malady struck them in the Champions League against Ajax, too). For a team of the calibre of the Parisians to so consistently squander needless points is remarkably sloppy, bordering on unprofessional. It is something Blanc admitted his concern over in his pre-match press conference. Asked if there would be a drop in performance following the Champions League win against Barcelona, the coach replied: “[The media] say PSG chose their matches [to play well in]. You’re right. But the atmosphere of a Champions League match is not the same, the preparation is not the same. It does not mean we will let [our level] drop in the league.” Unfortunately for Blanc, PSG’s level did drop, and most noticeably after they had grasped the initiative, although a series of calamities in front of goal from Edinson Cavani certainly did not help matters. We didnt do what it took to win 1-0, my team was febrile, he confessed to Canal+ after the match. What we feared happened ... its allowed to win 1-0. Our failure in the game was that we dropped too deep. This was our seventh match in 23 days. Its understandable that the boys are burnt out. Fears that David Luiz would not have the concentration to play in a side that spends much of its time attacking appear to be well founded, as he was partly to blame for the late equaliser, while Cavani’s industry cannot forever hide the fact that for the last couple of months he has been performing his best Fernando Torres impression in front of goal – an act he is becoming sadly more apt at replicating. So while Pastore and Lucas can look back contentedly at their continued improvements, it comes against a backdrop of disappointment for PSG, who already have a seven-point gap from Marseille to bridge and, it would seem, a real fight to reclaim their Ligue 1 crown on their hands.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 13:15:04 +0000
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