For the net

Now that’s what I call a drubbing. To kick off their UEFA Champions league campaign (and their title defense), Paris Saint Germain dismantled a lackluster Atalanta side. Winning by a 4-0 margin, PSG succeeded in reminding football fans of their attacking depth, pressing intensity, and mental composure. Are we witnessing a potential back-to-back winning campaign from Les Parisians? Let’s dissect the match and give our verdict.

Match Highlights

PSG wasted virtually no time. Marquinhos opened the scoring with an early breakthrough in the 3rd minute, demonstrating his high pressing ability. When a centre-back like him applies pressure in the opponents half and finishes a chance, people take notice. And he does this quite often.

This early goal set the tone, forcing Atalanta to chase and pull out of shape.

With roughly six minutes to go before half-time, Kvaratskhelia stormed ahead and unleashed a powerful blast to make it 2-0.

Atalanta never truly recovered from this.

In the second half, attacking left-back Nuno Mendes found the net from a tight angle, pushing PSG’S Lead to 3-0.

By this point, any flames Atalanta managed to stoke simply petered out. Even with Barcola’s missed penalty earlier in the game, PSG maintained their ice-cold approach.

In injury time, Ramos bagged PSG’s fourth with a composed finish, capping off a confident night at their home ground.

While an offensive showcase definitely took place, defensive solidity played an important role during this match.

Atalanta rarely threatened PSG’s Marquinhos-led defense. It also helped that PSG’s midfielders were just as dedicated to keeping the visitors in check.

Combining these factors with excellent pressing enabled PSG to never allow Atalanta breathing room.

Why this Win Matters

As the reigning Champions league holders, PSG needed a strong start—and they got one.

derailing a tough Italian side so convincingly signifies that PSG is serious about keeping their crown. And now the rest of Europe knows that.

Whats even scarier is that even with rotations, injuries, and squad constraints, PSG still showed depth and fluidity. That will surely bolster their confidence once they start to think about the challenges/games ahead.

A +4 goal difference definitely helps keep the momentum going too.

Tactical Takeaway: Luis Enrique Edition

PSG’s ability to win the ball high up was clear throughout—A hallmark of their play under Luis Enrique.

His tactical setup, preparation, and psychological management were essential when it came to extinguishing Atalanta.

With a result like this, its safe to say he has instilled this well-drilled squad with the confidence to succeed—Again.

But hey, the guy used to coach Barcelona, so all of this is really no surprise. I’ll move on.

What’s next for Paris Saint-Germain?

If PSG want to instill fear into their opponents, it would be wise for them to keep this intensity going.

Over their next few games, consistency will be key. European and domestic demands will start mounting, but keeping their squad balanced can alleviate all kinds of pressure.

Future opponents will definitely be studying this performance, so PSG must keep evolving.

I highly doubt they’ll want what was done to Atalanta to happen to them, so I’ll keep betting on them.