Dembélé absent as Paris drops points again at home, risking top spot; Argentine striker scores twice and earns highest rating

At 02:45 on October 18th Beijing time, during the 8th round of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain faced Strasbourg at home.

In the opening half, Barcola opened the scoring, Chevalier made a fantastic save, then Panićeli and Moreira netted successively to put Strasbourg ahead 2-1 at the break; in the second half, Panićeli completed his double, Moreira delivered both a goal and an assist, Doué earned a penalty, G. Ramos scored from the spot to reduce the deficit, and Mayulu leveled the score.

The match ended in a 3-3 draw between Paris and Strasbourg, and if either Marseille or Lyon wins in this round of Ligue 1, Paris will lose their top position.

Paris vs Strasbourg (Chelsea’s satellite club),Enrique deployed a 4-3-3 formation, with G. Ramos pushed forward, Mbaye and Barcola on the wings, Lee Kang-in, Emery, and Doué forming the midfield trio, Mayulu, Zabalni, Beraldo, and Lucas in defense, and Chevalier in goal; the starting lineup’s combined value was €460 million.Rossignol set up a 3-4-2-1 formation, featuring a 23-year-old Argentine striker standing 1.90m tall leading the attack, with a starting lineup valued at €146 million.

Several key Paris players were missing for this match, including Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé; Kvaratskhelia returned from injury to come off the bench, Mendes only appeared in the 90th minute, while Ashraf and Vitinha were rotated onto the bench without playing. Enrique’s major squad rotation severely weakened Paris’s strength. After losing to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final and now drawing 3-3 with Chelsea’s “little brother,” fans are debating Chelsea’s dominance over PSG. It must be said that Dembélé is crucial to Enrique’s tactics; G. Ramos is no substitute for Dembélé, and Kvaratskhelia is also a versatile presence both offensively and defensively. The standout performer was the 23-year-old Argentine striker Panićeli, who scored twice and earned an 8.8 rating, tied for the highest on the pitch. He has scored 7 goals in 8 Ligue 1 matches this season, enriching Argentina’s attacking options. Personally, I believe Argentina should bring a tall striker to the 2026 World Cup to break down compact defenses.

Paris went from leading 1-0 to trailing 1-3, then fought back to draw 3-3, managing to salvage a point at home. However, Paris continues to drop points in the league, and after this round, they will likely lose their top spot. Marseille and Lyon only need wins this round to overtake Paris. Still, Paris remains dominant in Ligue 1, and with key players like Dembélé returning, their title challenge remains solid.

Throughout the match, Paris controlled possession at 72%, taking 21 shots with 9 on target; Strasbourg had 12 shots with 7 on target.