Luis Enrique’s side tended to struggle without Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue last term. So, other players must perform well over the next few weeks.
| PSG Markets | Odds |
| Bradley Barcola to score anytime vs Lens | 1.95 |
| PSG vs Atalanta - Atalanta or Draw | 3.25 |
| Marseille vs PSG - Marseille or Draw | 1.90 |
| PSG to finish 9th-24th in the UCL League Stage | 2.62 |
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
How do PSG cope without Dembele and Doue?
Dembele and Doue were vital parts of PSG’s 2024/25 treble-winning side. In the Champions League alone, the attacking duo registered a combined total of 13 goals and nine assists. However, both players are sidelined for several weeks due to injuries.
Luis Enrique is concerned that injuries could be a recurring issue this term. PSG’s squad have barely had a break in 2025, having played in the Club World Cup final.
The Spaniard has frequently rotated last term, which suggests how the Parisians may cope without two of their stars.
In their successful 2024/25 Ligue 1 campaign, PSG had an average of 2.71 goals and 2.61 xG per game overall. However, those figures decreased to 2.40 and 2.62, respectively, in the five matches when neither Dembele nor Doue started. None of those fixtures were against eventual top-six clubs, and they dropped points in three of the five.
PSG have started this season with Dembele and Doue on the bench against Nantes. They failed to score for the first 61 minutes before they brought them in.
Goncalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola are expected to benefit most from the injuries to PSG’s attacking duo. They are likely to complete the front three alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in their upcoming fixtures. However, Kang-in Lee and Ibrahim Mbaye should also get opportunities.
European champions to struggle with a tough schedule?
PSG’s superiority in Ligue 1 suggests that a major injury crisis wouldn’t derail their title ambitions. However, they could still be vulnerable in some of their upcoming domestic fixtures.
Bettors will want to pay close attention to their next two away league games. Both of them are tough, as they face Marseille and Lille. Dembele is expected to miss those two trips, while Doue could make the latter, but is unlikely to feature in Le Classique.
Although Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille have had a tough start overall, they did score five goals in their opening home fixture against Paris FC. Following some late business, and with a big Vélodrome crowd behind them, there could be value in backing Les Phoceens to get a result.
Luis Enrique's team could be most vulnerable in the Champions League. PSG have been dealt the second-hardest draw in this year’s league phase, according to Opta. Their first four opponents are Atalanta, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich.
Even with a fresh and fully fit squad, they may be at risk of missing out on the top eight again. Given the absence of the Ballon d’Or favourite and the precocious Doue, Atalanta have a chance to win at the Parc des Princes on Matchday 1. They are given an implied probability of 30.8% of avoiding defeat.
Meanwhile, PSG are given a 38.1% chance of finishing between 9th and 24th in the initial phase. Given the difficulty of their schedule, that seems like an appealing bet.