Marcel Desailly believes Paris Saint-Germain are now better equipped to win the Champions League than when they had Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar in a star-studded front three.
The trio played for PSG between 2021 and 2023 but failed to bring European success to the Parc des Princes with rumours personal egos, as well as injuries to Neymar in particular, got in the way.
Messi and Neymar departed Paris in 2023 while Mbappe left 12 months later to join Real Madrid.
Luis Enrique can build team free of egos
That enabled boss Luis Enrique to mould a more cohesive side and the results have been impressive with the next challenge tomorrow night’s home clash with Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg.
Hopes are high in Paris that this could be the year the club finally get their hands on the trophy and former France World Cup winner Desailly believes they are better placed than ever.
He told Le Parisien: “They had Messi, Neymar, Mbappé, and yet there is more hope this year than the previous ones.
⚽️ L’entraînement veille de match avant Aston Villa FC 🔴🔵 https://t.co/AkRWmwX2Mn
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 8, 2025
“This time, we really believe that something could happen. Because they know how to play, because the team is complete in all positions. He [Luis Enrique] built his team according to his philosophy.
“Mbappé’s departure did not mark the end of a cycle, but the beginning of something.”
Can PSG match Arsenal Invincibles?
The Champions League may be the main target but PSG are also hoping to go through the entire Ligue 1 season unbeaten. They have played 28 games so far, winning 23 and drawing five, with just six more to go.
Desailly added: “I’m not surprised by their level, because from the moment they hired Luis Enrique, we knew they were going to build a team around his philosophy.
“Luis Enrique is obsessed with possession. It took him two years to be able to have players that can adapt to the way he wants his team to play: skilled players, with and without the ball, who understand and read the game well.
“They can hope to have an unbeaten record in the league, as Arsenal did with the Invincibles [in 2003-04].”
