It’s not quite halfway through the season, as we head into the 16th round of Ligue 1 matches out of 34. But it’s the winter break, which provides an opportunity to take stock. L’Equipe has put forward its “mid-season” type team, based on each player’s average marks since the start of the 2024-2025 season. It features 2 Paris Saint-Germain players: Achraf Hakimi (26-year-old right-back) and Ousmane Dembélé (27-year-old striker).
It’s no surprise to see Hakimi in this model team, as he has been a regular performer. Quite impressively, in fact, as he doesn’t seem to need a break, despite being very active both offensively and defensively.
Dembélé, often criticized for his lack of finishing ability, was a little less expected. But he’s often a great creative force, and we find him in 4th place in the scoring charts with 8 goals, just 3 behind first-placed Jonathan David. He is also 2 assists behind the leader in assists (Dilane Bakwa with 6).
It’s also a surprise not to see more players from PSG, who occupy 1st place with a 10-point lead. This could be seen as a sign that the Parisians are being a little more harsh with their players, since expectations are high. Perhaps it’s also the strength of a collective that wins a lot without having a multitude of “over-dominant” individualities.
In any case, it’s good to see that this is a quality championship with other interesting players who deserve to be honoured.