Pacho puts PSG’s slump under the microscope: Demba Ba’s honest verdict

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·10 Maret 2026

Pacho puts PSG’s slump under the microscope: Demba Ba’s honest verdict

Willian Pacho, 24 years old, central defender for Paris Saint-Germain, is going through a less controlled period in a Parisian team that is overall less dominant. In the columns of L’Equipe, Demba Ba offers a clear analysis: the drop in performance from the Ecuadorian defender can also be explained by a collective framework that has become more demanding and more exposing.

Ba: “Pacho, you’re talking to me about him but he is much more exposed”

Is it a temporary deficit, the result of a season without preparation, or the consequence of a more structural problem? Today, PSG is judged through individual aspects. But what we perceive from their current difficulties is how much the individual is impacted by a less dominant collective. Pacho, you’re talking to me about him but he is much more exposed. This overexposure means that where last year he had 10 duels to play 40 meters from his goal and he won 8, now he has twice as many 10 meters closer to his goal. With midfielders who protect him less. And inevitably, the risk is greater. And if, on top of that, you add a form of physical fatigue or mental wear, you get a less effective player.

Ba: “I think Pacho is capable of meeting the challenge”

Can João Pedro hurt him on Wednesday? He can actually hurt anyone. He runs, he shouts, he’s constantly making runs. He reminds me of a Diego Costa. And for a central defender, that’s exhausting both psychologically and physically. I think Pacho is capable of meeting the challenge. He showed it many times last year.”

Demba Ba’s perspective usefully shifts the debate. Rather than isolating Pacho as the main person responsible for his less convincing performances, the former striker insists on the environment in which he now plays. A less suffocating PSG, less protective midfielders, more and closer defensive situations to the goal: all of this mechanically increases the difficulty of his interventions.

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In this context, the slightest lost duel is more visible and weighs more heavily. Added to this can be the wear and tear of a long physical and mental stretch, which is logical for a player so heavily relied upon. But Demba Ba does not rule out an immediate response from the Parisian defender. On the contrary, he reminds us that Pacho has already shown, including in high-stakes matches, that he has the mental and athletic strength to withstand very demanding attackers.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.