PSG Beat Real Madrid 3-1, but Edinson Cavani Continues to Disappoint

On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain recorded their third-straight pre-season victory and their second of the International Champions Cup as they beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Colombus, Ohio.

Unai Emery’s men were impressive, especially during the first half, scoring all three goals before the 41st minute and ruling out any chance of a comeback from the Spanish side.
Emery told the press after the game:

We are very happy about the results. Even if that’s not the most important thing, but it’s very good for team confidence. I’m happy from a tactical point of view, because the players followed my instructions. They’re following on from what we’re practicing in training and that’s a good thing. Those who have played in matches so far have done a good job.

On the face of it, the result is another step in the right direction for the Spanish coach. His defence coped well with the early injury to Thiago Silva, young players like Lorenzo Callegari and Jonathan Ikone continued to impress and he has three full-backs taking part in some sort of best-goal competition.
The opening goal came from Ikone, and you have to praise the youngster. He may have had the rub of the green as the ball seemed to be destined for his right foot after a couple of ricochets, but when he was clear on goal, he showed great composure to put his side 1-0 up.
However, there is a worry. Something that could put a huge question mark over PSG’s season is the continued poor form of Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan striker started in the No. 9 role he has craved since joining the Parisian club. One of four changes Emery made from the win over Inter Milan. Hatem Ben Arfa dropped to the bench, and Ikone and Lucas Moura were positioned either side of Cavani.
Three main chances stood out in what was a forgettable performance from the former Napoli forward. Following on from his poor return at the Copa America, it must be a great concern for the new boss.

New signing Thomas Meunier would come on for Silva, and it was his good ball from the right that set up Cavani’s first chance. El Matador had done well to get in front of his marker, but for some reason, he decided to try to take the chance with the outside of his left boot—letting the ball come across his body—rather than taking it with his more natural right.
It takes skill to make the right contact with your right foot in that position, but there is a higher possibility you will find the angle to test the goalkeeper.
In the second half, there was a delightful ball over the top by Angel Di Maria, but Cavani’s touch/shot lacked conviction and belief. He failed to make enough contact and it was an easy ball for Kiko Casilla.
His best chance came later in the second half, Meunier again was the creator. His bursting run down the right made space for the forward, the Belgian full-back played the square ball across and Cavani smashed his shot wide of the near post.
His effort was full of power and menace, just like it has been time and again, but it lacked accuracy. He cut the figure of a frustrated player, and that was evident in his effort and his overall performance.
It leaves Emery with a dilemma. PSG need someone that can lead this attack, and right now, Cavani looks like a liability. Yes, he will score goals in Ligue 1, there is no doubt about that. He will be given enough chances on goal to put two or three away.

The problem comes, as it always has, when he is called upon in the Champions League. Opportunities are at a premium, and if you are wasting them, your team will be punished.
PSG could jump into the market, spend a ridiculous amount of money on a centre-forward and relegate Cavani to the bench, but that feels like the wrong move. What the Uruguayan needs is competition. A threat, someone who is going to make him play better, knowing that his place is under fire but not that he is confined to the bench.

Cavani needs someone who is on equal ground with him and someone he can play beside, if Emery’s tactics allow for it. Ben Arfa played as the No. 9 against Inter, but that’s not the answer the club are looking for.
It could be someone like Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, who has previously been linked with a move to Paris by the Guardian, or Alexandre Lacazette, who was recently the subject of a €35 million bid by Arsenal. Someone like that, who knows the league inside-out, wants to excel in Europe and can also play in a two-man attack, would be ideal.

Lyon may be unwilling to do business with their league rivals, and just like in Italy and Germany, it would take away a huge spark of competition in the division, but that’s not PSG’s problem. They want a squad that can lift the Champions League, or at least challenge for a place in the last four.
Right now, they have Cavani up front and only Jean-Kevin Augustin—despite his potential, as previously discussed in this column—as back-up. PSG are a long way from being once again regarded as one of Europe’s best sides.

PSG need to open the bank account and do everything they can to add competition to the forward line and give Cavani a real threat of not playing. Without that, they will lift the Ligue 1 title but will be found short when it comes to the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Emery would have been delighted by Meunier's debut. He was a constant threat down the right-flank, provided some excellent balls into the box and scored an outstanding goal.

It wasn’t just the left-foot shot from outside the box that impressed, but his reading of the game, to come inside and intercept some slack Real play, was excellent; it was made even better by his sweet strike.
"I had a good start to my match when I came on and I’m very happy to have scored two goals,” a happy Meunier told the PSG website after the game. “But I know we can still do better defensively. We controlled the game in the second half, we stayed in our positions and they weren’t able to create many chances. It was a very serious performance from us.”
His two goals, added to a double from Serge Aurier and Layvin Kurzawa’s free-kick, means that full-backs have scored five of PSG’s six goals during the International Champions Cup. Perhaps Emery should dump Cavani and go with an attack full of defenders.