PSG finds new penalty strategy after Mbappe's exit

Since the departure of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar before him, PSG has been without a designated penalty taker. While this initially posed a problem, Luis Enrique seems to have quickly found a solution.

During his last season at Paris Saint-Germain, which was Luis Enrique's first, Kylian Mbappe scored 10 penalties out of 13 attempts. With him as the designated penalty taker, the club now finds itself without a player to fill that role.

Last Friday, on the pitch of Stade Oceane against Le Havre (a 4-1 victory), it was Randal Kolo Muani who took on the responsibility by converting his penalty against Arthur Desmas. This act of responsibility was closely watched by Ousmane Dembele. The PSG number 10 had a lively exchange with Vitinha as his French teammate stepped up to the penalty spot.

PSG finds new penalty strategy after Mbappe's exit

Was the decision for Randal Kolo Muani to score PSG's fourth goal of the evening predetermined? Not according to Le Parisien. They report that for the 2024/2025 season, the penalty takers will be decided before each match.

This information will be revealed to the players when the starting lineup is announced, approximately two hours before kickoff, as they board the bus to the stadium. This approach to choosing penalty takers perfectly reflects a statement made by Luis Enrique on August 15th during his first press conference of the season: "The leader is the club, PSG."

According to Le Parisien, the pre-list currently established for penalty takers includes Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Marco Asensio, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Goncalo Ramos upon his return from injury, along with Vitinha and Randal Kolo Muani.