Paris Saint-Germain have sought to keep their forwards on their toes. Last season, there was a clear hierarchy, even if four didn't go into three. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Bradley Barcola competed for three places in the PSG front line. Behind, however, the starters weren't pushed. Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos were very much designated backups. Randal Kolo Muani, meanwhile, left once again on loan. All three have now left.
The trio that have replaced them will look to shake up the hierarchy. And Sunday night's Ligue 1 opener against Stade Rennais was another sign that the starting trio cannot rest on their laurels. Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, and Doué started the game, but only one would emerge from the tunnel after half-time. Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia were replaced by Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, whilst another new forward, Maghnes Akliouche, came on later in the encounter. Torres netted twice as PSG overturned the 2-0 deficit at half-time to secure a 2-2 draw.
If the performances of the substitutes could be a wake-up call for Dembélé and "Kvara", Luis Enrique's post-match comments could have a similar effect. Asked about his half-time substitutions by Ligue 1 Plus,Luis Enrique responded , " Football is like that. PSG haven't won anything. There is no credit (in the bank) at PSG! If you think about what you've won, you won't win anything else," said the Spaniard.
He added, "You need to show every day, in every match, that you are ready. We should win all of the time. To win all of the time, you have to step outside your comfort zone. Is that clear?"
