3 main talking points from PSG's 4-2 home win against Strasbourg

PSG goes top of the Ligue 1 McDonald's on goal difference following their 4-2 success against Strasbourg at home on Matchday 8.

Senny Mayulu, Marco Asensio, Bradley Barcola, and Kang-In Lee scored in the victory for Paris Saint-Germain as substitutes Sekou Mara and Pape Diong reduced the deficit for Strasbourg.

3 main talking points from PSG's 4-2 home win against Strasbourg

1. Squad leaders rested

In a probant victory from the side, Luis Enrique managed to rest most of his usual starters as the club captain, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Ousmane Dembele all sat on the bench for the whole length of the game watching their teammates dominate Strasbourg.

This rest might reveal itself crucial as Paris will face PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening in a very important Champions League game before travelling to the Stade Vélodrome for the 'Classique' against Olympique de Marseille on Sunday. Having their best players sitting this game following their International duties also allowed some players such as Senny Mayulu or Désiré Doué to gain some really needed confidence on the pitch which will serve them in the future.

2. Defensive issues

Despite their probant win, having scored four goals, and giving much-needed confidence to many players, Paris once again conceded two avoidable goals. Since the beginning of the season, Luis Enrique's men only kept two clean sheets in 10 games, conceding six goals in their last five games without keeping a clean sheet.

These statistics might be worrying for the Spanish coach, though having a new centre-back partnership between Milan Skriniar and Pacho against Strasbourg could explain some of the issues on the night but doesn't explain the issues since the start of the 2024-2025 campaign. Furthermore, Paris allowed their opponents to score on a cross/ set piece situation once again.

3. Senny Mayulu & Bradley Barcola

Barcola and Mayulu are without a doubt the main players in Paris's victory against Strasbourg, the 'Titi' scored the first Ligue 1 goal of his career in a superb performance, the youngster had many opportunities to increase the advantage of his team in the first half as he lacked composure at the moment to put the ball at the back of the net. His association with Barcola proved fruitful in the first half as September's Player of the Month combined perfectly with Mayulu on his goal.

Bradley Barcola scored his 7th goal of the season further cementing his spot as the Ligue 1 McDonald's top scorer being two goals ahead of Jonathan David and Mason Greenwood. This season, Barcola is proving to be the main offensive threat for PSG, possibly becoming one of the leaders of the teams on the pitch despite his young age.

Up next, Paris will face PSV Eindhoven for Matchday 3 of the Champions League on Tuesday 22nd of October.