Paris Saint-Germain Eliminated! Worst Start in 12 Years Highlights Stunning Collapse

A familiar scene, but an unexpected result. On September 5 Beijing time, Paris Saint-Germain hosted Monaco in the third round of Ligue 1. Marquinhos opened the scoring for the team with a header, but Nacininho quickly equalized for Monaco, and then Idumbo's sharp shot from a tight angle put Monaco ahead. When the final whistle blew, PSG suffered a disappointing 1-2 defeat, losing at home in a shock result. After three league matches, they have collected only one point, marking their worst Ligue 1 start since 2012.

The team that has dominated Ligue 1 for years is now struggling to find a league victory, which is truly shocking. After the match, Enrique perhaps did not even want to use a traditional harsh team talk, saying that water guns were needed to wake the players up—the players clearly need to seriously face their performances. They should not assume that relaxing in league matches will still allow them to win the title easily. PSG's three consecutive winless games have sounded an alarm for the entire squad.

The match clearly exposed PSG's problems. After Marquinhos broke the deadlock, PSG began to fall into a cautious and slow style of play, as if a 1-0 lead would be enough to secure the advantage. However, in the 58th minute, Teze's right-wing cross allowed Nacininho to easily equalize; in the 72nd minute, Idumbo completed the comeback with a powerful shot from a narrow angle, leaving PSG's defense looking extremely fragile. Dembele's assist for Ferran was ruled out for offside, and a late long-range effort missed the target. Throughout the match, PSG looked like an office worker who had not yet woken up, moving slowly and lacking fighting spirit.

Some fans joked: “As long as Paris are not more than 15 points behind, they will definitely come back.” The statement sounds optimistic, but who can guarantee they will not fall behind? Other fans sharply pointed out: “Many Chinese fans are actually not paying for Paris. Although they have performed well in the Champions League, what truly attracts fans is the league. Ligue 1 is already not very competitive, and with inconvenient scheduling, Paris still appears relaxed in league matches, forcing fans to get up late at night to watch games with little entertainment value. Why bother?”

From a tactical perspective, PSG's problems are not limited to attitude. Whether against Chelsea in the Nations League or Bayern in the Champions League, their Portuguese midfield duo have appeared weak in controlling matches at key moments—their physical profile makes them easier targets, they face a higher risk of losing position in chaotic situations, and their ability to withstand high pressure while protecting the defense is limited. Enrique's tactical ideas are very similar to those of Flick and Klopp: sacrificing some stability in order to improve attacking efficiency amid chaos. This approach helped him win two consecutive Champions League titles, partly because of his strong understanding with the players, and partly because other major clubs were rebuilding and unable to seriously challenge PSG. However, in Ligue 1, against opponents using deep defensive setups, PSG's chaotic style is difficult to execute.

In addition, the national team workload of the Portuguese duo and Fabian Ruiz has made this extreme rotation system, which relies on frequent positional exchanges, highly dependent on team chemistry—so the poor start is now more understandable. What do three consecutive draws mean? It is a Ligue 1 opening record PSG had not experienced since 2012. The way PSG have fallen may seem amusing, but for their supporters, this is certainly not a situation worth laughing about. The pressure has immediately shifted onto Enrique.