PSG’s 14th Ligue 1 title built by understudies and depth | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain sealed a 14th Ligue 1 crown with a 2-0 win at Lens, their domestic success shaped by squad depth. European nights showcased star turns, but the league campaign leaned on the supporting cast.

According to L'Équipe, there was little tension inside the camp during Ligue 1, and this title feels more the work of understudies than headliners like Ousmane Dembélé and Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia.

A shortened summer, an incomplete pre-season and injuries forced Luis Enrique to spread workloads, protect key bodies and fast-track players initially pencilled in as back-ups.

Marquinhos and Dembélé made only 10 league starts each. Minutes swelled for Illia Zabarnyi, Lucas Hernandez, Lee Kang-in, Gonçalo Ramos, Senny Mayulu and Ibrahim Mbaye. PSG often managed without Dembélé, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes or Achraf Hakimi, underlining their margin.

There was no wish to downplay the achievement. Beyond Bayern, Monaco were regarded as the sternest European test, the ties ending 3-2 and 2-2 in the play-offs, and Marseille under Roberto De Zerbi, Lille, Rennes and Lens all posed problems.

Continuity defined recruitment. Only Illia Zabarnyi, Renato Marin and Lucas Chevalier arrived last summer, and Chevalier later lost the gloves to Matveï Safonov, already at the club, underlining a preference to exhaust in-house options before buying.

The development path is framed in three steps, adaptation, maturation, then opportunity. Zabarnyi, raw on arrival, embodied it with a stronger second half of the season. Barring departures, that summer stance is set to remain.

Source: L'Équipe