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PSG have made a sensational start to the campaign and are proving a team to beat across all competitions. After assembling arguably the best squad in Europe, they are firm favorites in all competitions. The Parisian side are running away with Ligue 1, sitting at the top of the table with a massive 10-point lead.
Under Mauricio Pochettino's guidance, PSG are also dominating the European circuit. They are at the top of their Champions League group, defeating the likes of Manchester City and RB Leipzig with utter ease.
With Ligue 1 well within their reach, PSG will also be desperate to stamp their authority on Europe. The Champions League trophy is still elusive for the Parisian side and Pochettino is likely to focus on attaining European glory.
However, PSG are far from perfect despite grinding out victories more often than not. Some players are below par and their flaws have been covered by the individual brilliance of other footballers. On that note, let's take a look at
Five PSG players who are struggling right now
#5 Juan Bernat
Following his arrival at PSG in 2018, left-back Juan Bernat has proven to be a vital cog in the team. The Spaniard was once considered among the top talents but has now fallen below the pecking order under Pochettino.
Considering his age, Bernat has won a lot of titles at PSG and at Bayern Munich. But the 28-year-old has endured a downward spiral with his poor form and recurring injuries. He has featured just three times for PSG this campaign and hardly made an impact.
Strong competition for the left-back position has also added to his woes. Pochettino clearly prefers 19-year-old Nuno Mendes as Bernat has been deservingly benched for his poor performances.
#4 Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi was a reputed goalscorer some time ago but he has fallen off the radar with his continuous lackluster performances. The Argentine is completely absent from his national team while he is used as a substitute at PSG.
Icardi has been finding life hard in Paris, both on and off the pitch. The 28-year-old is yet to make any impact whatsoever on the pitch and is having trouble with his wife Wanda Nara.
Icardi is currently seen as a fringe player by Pochettino following Messi's arrival at the club. He has scored just three goals in 14 appearances, very poor by his standards.
#3 Neymar
Following Leo Messi's arrival at PSG this summer, it was expected that Neymar would be at his very best. After all, the Brazilian enjoyed his best years at Barcelona when the former Blaugrana captain was by his side. Yet the story has been completely different in the current campaign so far.
Neymar has found the net just three times in 675 minutes in Ligue 1. He is yet to open his account in the Champions League.
His sub-par performance under Pochettino is quite surprising because the forward kept firing on all cylinders for Brazil.
There is no doubt regarding the quality of Neymar. The Brazilian could be a world beater on his day but he is yet to show his full potential with PSG. Injuries have not helped his case, with the Brazilian missing a major chunk of time during his tenure in Paris.
It is clear that Neymar needs to step up or he will be below the pecking order as Angel Di Maria continues to impress.
#2 Danilo Pereira
It might be too harsh on Danilo Pereira to keep him on the list because he is one of PSG's most hardworking players. Danilo has been the weakest link for the PSG side so far, who have struggled defensively throughout the 2021-22 season. The defensive midfielder is clearly a fish out of water and fails to match up with the rest of the PSG team.
Danilo has been ineffective in blocking opposing attackers and fails to link up or initiate attacks. The Portuguese has featured in 13 games across all competitions for the Parisian team. But the player is currently nowhere near being first-team material.
#1 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi might is clearly struggling to find his feet at PSG. The Argentine maestro has taken his sweet time to settle into Pochettino's side and is nowhere near his very best.
Barring Kylian Mbappe's majestic displays and glimpses of Messi's brilliance, PSG's attacking trio have looked very ordinary. The 34-year-old has looked especially uninspiring and is yet to make any kind of impact in Ligue 1. Messi is yet to score or assist a goal in Ligue 1 so far.
Messi was supposed to be the missing piece in the puzzle for PSG but the Argentine has been extremely poor by his lofty standards. It goes without saying that Messi can still turn the season around anytime with his extraterrestrial caliber.
