Why PSG's loss against Lens in the Trophée des Champions isn't a cause for concern?
Les Parisiens played their last game before the start of the Ligue 1 season, facing Lens in the Trophée des Champions final on Sunday. Les Sang et Or won 1-0 courtesy of a back-post tap-in by Florian Thauvin. Lens were eager to get one over the French champions this encounter after Luis Enrique's side did the double over them last season.
Those points dropped against Les Parisiens ultimately prevented Lens from winning the league, as the gap between them and PSG was six points. Here at PSG Post, we discuss why the defeat against Lens on the weekend won't matter in the grand scheme of the season.
Why PSG shouldn't worry despite their Trophée des Champions' loss?
Players are not at peak physical fitness after returning from the World Cup.
Several PSG players went deep into the World Cup. Fabian Ruiz and Ferran Torres (who scored the winning goal) went to the final with eventual champions Spain. At the same time, numerous players got to the semi-finals with France (Maghnes Akliouche, Lucas Digne, Warren Zaire Emery, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele). Those players who went further in the World Cup would have returned to training later and wouldn't have played a big role in the club's preseason. It would be difficult to envisage the performance being similar with everyone having a full preseason.
Lens proved once again that they are a brilliant team
Dino Toppmoller has a brilliant side at his disposal. Last season, they showed they are a team that should be taken seriously after taking PSG to the last few weeks of the season in the title race. The season was still a whopping success for Lens as they beat Nice in the Coupe de France final. There was pressure on them to win the cup final against Nice as they were huge favourites following a league season where they exceeded expectations.
It is the best time to make mistakes
Pre-season is the best time to make mistakes and experiment, as the result will have no bearing on the upcoming season. This is a complete contrast to a Champions League knockout game, where any mistake could be fatal. Luis Enrique decided to experiment by playing Doue upfront and Lucas Beraldo in midfield. Whilst Beraldo was not terrible on the day, he was a far cry from being as good as Ruiz or Joao Neves in midfield. Senny Mayulu should get more opportunities in midfield, as that is his natural position. Doue is a good player but not as good as Dembele in the number nine position.
