So can anyone stop Paris St Germain in Ligue 1 next season?
Perhaps only themselves because the Parisians have certainly been known to self-implode when the pressure is truly on.
Rarely though has that applied to domestic duties as the club has dominated the French top flight over the past decade since its takeover.
Nor should it impact either.
For any team with the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe should be challenging for all the major honours at home and abroad.
And when you have untold millions that very few clubs in the world can match, and you are in a league which is not known for being that competitive, the other clubs in France are hardly competing on a level playing field.
Even accounting for his inconsistency, the gulf is best highlighted by the fact the Brazilian was more expensive than entire squads compiled by their nearest challengers such as surprise 2021 champions Lille, Marseille, Monaco, Lyon et al.
That is reflected also by the SBOTOP Ligue 1 betting odds with PSG odds-on favourites @ 1.11 for next term and way ahead of the nearest challengers Lyon @ 13.00, Marseille @ 15.00 and Monaco @ 16.00.
As they go forward though, the chances are it will be the young Frenchman rather than the world’s most expensive footballer, who leads them on their pursuit of success in 2022-23.
Mbappe last season finished Ligue 1’s top scorer with 28 goals, three ahead of Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder.
He had been heavily linked with a move to Spain before committing his future to PSG, a place where he is now loved and was one of few to avoid the boo-boys following their last-16 exit in the Champions League last term in which Mbappe netted both goals for his side.
Believe it or not, Mbappe is reportedly in disagreement with Messi, 12 years his senior and seven times Ballon D’Or winner, over the worth to the team of Neymar.
The Brazilian is a mate of Messi’s but Mbappe reckons he lacks discipline. The stats suggest Mbappe is correct.
Regardless of what happens next, change is happening in Paris and, with a new football adviser in Luis Campos – appointed to oversee the French champions’ transfer business – what happens next could be fascinating.
In defence, PSG still have a strong starting centre-back partnership in Presnel Kimpembe and skipper Marquinhos. But their depth behind those two is not all that impressive.
Sergio Ramos was brought in last season to provide experience and leadership, but the 36 year-old missed most of the campaign with injury.
In the middle of the park, Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes lead the way while, to date, former Premier League midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum, Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye are all talented but appear not to have figured so much. Perhaps that will change under a new coach.
One to watch could also be Vitinha, the FC Porto academy graduate who spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Wolverhampton Wanderers and could now add some welcome verve to the Paris midfield.
Vitinha was a cornerstone for Porto when they won their second domestic double in three years last season, featuring in 30 of a possible 34 league games. Now also a full Portugal international, PSG have acquired a player ready to hit their prime.
Further forward, away from their three stars, Angel Di Maria has already moved on, but the likes of Mauro Icardi, Julian Draxler, Pablo Sarabia are all still in the side so the strength in depth is clear.
With such a squad, can any other team really create enough Ligue 1 highlights to take the crown.
From where I am sitting, it seems there will be no revolution next season, but we could see the start of an evolution with both Campos and new manager Christophe Galtier in place.
At the age of 55, the former player is taking the next step in his coaching career. After a spell on the bench at Saint-Etienne between 2009 and 2017 – during which he won the Coupe de la Ligue – he was crowned French champion with Lille last year at the expense of PSG. Last season he was at the helm of Nice, who finished fifth in the league and reached the Coupe de France final. His pedigree is clear then and he is starting from a position of domestic dominance it is hard to imagine coming undone.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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