Lee Kang-in is dribbling in the game against Angers on the 10th. /provided by PSG
Lee Kang-in (No. 19) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal. /provided by PSG
[마이데일리 = 심재희 기자] French Ligue 1 defending champion Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is on a winning streak after erasing the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who led the team’s attack until last season. As Mbappe left for Real Madrid in the Spanish Primera Liga, there were concerns about a decline in offensive ability. However, he boasts a sharp spear tip and is leading League 1.
PSG won 4-2 against Angers in the 11th round away game of the 2024-2025 Ligue 1 on the 10th (Korean time). ‘Shooting’ Lee Kang-in won the game thanks to three attack points. They took the lead with Lee Kang-in’s consecutive goals in the 17th and 20th minutes of the first half, and went up 4-0 with a joint goal between Lee Kang-in and Bradley Barcola in extra time in the first half. They conceded two goals in extra time in the second half, but it did not hinder the momentum at all.
Through the 11th round, they took the lead with 9 wins, 2 draws, and undefeated, with 29 points. They are ahead by 6 points over 2nd place AS Monaco (7 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses, 23 points). Scored 33 points and conceded 10 goals in 11 games. He scored an average of 3 goals per game and conceded 0 points (approximately 0.91). Both offense and defense maintained solid performance and increased momentum.
In particular, even in the absence of Mbappe, he is drawing attention by utilizing his offensive power well. Players are evenly participating in scoring. Barcola, who leads the mid-scoring rankings in Ligue 1, scored 10 goals, and Lee Kang-in scored 6 goals. Ousmane Dembele scored 5 goals, and Marco Asensio and Rendan Colo Muani scored 2 goals each. Ashraf Hakimi, Fabian Luis, Vitinya, Seni Mayulu, Warren Jair Emery, and Joao Neves also added one point each.
Last season, PSG scored 81 goals and conceded 33 goals in 34 league games. They won the championship with 22 wins, 10 draws, 2 losses, and 76 points. They averaged 2.38 points and allowed 0.97 runs per game and succeeded in conquering the top spot. Mbappe became the top scorer in Ligue 1 alone, scoring 27 goals. He was responsible for exactly one-third of the team’s scores. With Mbappe, the core of the attack, missing before the start of this season, question marks were raised about PSG’s offensive ability.
Lee Kang-in being interviewed by PSG team after the win against Angers. /provided by PSG
It was unfortunate. Although the powerful spear Mbappe was missing, PSG further increased its firepower with other players launching a well-organized attack. Barcola, Lee Kang-in, and Dembele have already scored 21 goals together in Ligue 1 alone. He was responsible for 63.6% of the team’s 33 points. The team’s overall score is also better than last season, with 33 points in 11 games. It is safe to say that even without Mbappe, there are no problems with attack power.
PSG, who continued their undefeated streak until the 11th round, will take the lead in League 1 after the international break. On the 23rd, they will call Toulouse home to play the 12th round match. On the 27th, Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga, to which Kim Min-jae belongs, will play an away game in the 5th round of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Next, they will have a home game against Nantes in the 13th round of Ligue 1 on November 1st.
