In L’Équipe, Philippe Montanier — a consultant and former Ligue 1 coach — analyzes Paris Saint-Germain’s 0–0 draw in Bilbao. Despite PSG failing to score for the first time this Champions League season, he believes the context — Basque pressing, the opponent’s form, and Parisian absences — largely explains the performance.
Montanier: “PSG can’t always win 7–2 away from home.”
“Were you disappointed by PSG’s overall performance, having failed to score in the Champions League for the first time this season?
PSG can’t always win 7–2 away from home, like they did in Leverkusen (on October 21)! We must not forget that Athletic Bilbao are among the teams that press best in Europe, especially at home. And they were coming off a win (1–0) in La Liga against Atlético Madrid.
It’s true that PSG were pushed around in the game during the first half, but not in terms of chances. And it was still the Parisians who had the clearest opportunity, through Senny Mayulu, who was denied by Simón (45th minute).”
Montanier: “I expected this kind of issue for the Parisian squad in the first half of the season.”
The João Neves–Vitinha–Fabián Ruiz trio sometimes seems less dominant in midfield. What do you think?
“It’s a collective issue. As since the start of the season, several key players were still missing (Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé, among others). Because of the complete lack of pre-season preparation, I expected this kind of difficulty for the Parisian squad in the first half of the season. Now I’m curious to see how things will evolve, because this is an unprecedented situation…”
Montanier reminds us that San Mamés is far from neutral ground: Bilbao are one of Europe’s best pressing teams, especially at home. In that context, he considers it logical that PSG were disrupted in their play without conceding many clear chances, even pointing out that Paris created the best opportunity of the first half through Senny Mayulu, denied by Simón just before half-time.
The coach then emphasizes a key point: the Neves–Vitinha–Fabián Ruiz midfield appears less dominant when several leaders are missing — notably Achraf Hakimi or Ousmane Dembélé — which disrupts the entire collective structure. Finally, Montanier reiterates that PSG are still paying the price for their complete lack of summer preparation, an unprecedented situation that, in his view, should ease as the squad stabilizes. A well-informed opinion from someone who knows football’s inner workings very well.
