A clash of egos between two of PSG’s key players threatens to destabilise their European ambitions.
The Parisian side have started the domestic season well with a 100% winning record. In Europe, they started their campaign with a 5-0 away win against Celtic. They have a combined total of 26 goals scored in both competitions with only three conceded.
Lyon are the only team that they have struggled to break down, but they still managed to win that game 2-0. Based on these figures, it doesn’t look like they have any issues.
However, cracks are starting to appear which seems inevitable in a team full of superstars. These cracks have the potential to create a chasm in the squad with Unai Emery unwilling to step in. This all started over who takes the set pieces, and is linked in to the hierarchy of the squad.
Nobody told Cavani that Neymar gets to take PSG penalties now 😂 after this, Neymar might get first dibs next time! pic.twitter.com/HbnMDxqci2
— GOAL (@goal) September 17, 2017
Edinson Cavani is currently the main penalty and free kick taker due to his ability as well as his longevity at the club. Neymar has come in on a world record transfer after seeking to escape ‘Lionel Messi’s shadow’. Naturally, Neymar wants to take over these roles because he sees himself as the most important player in the squad. This has led to disagreements on the pitch which seem to be getting worse over time.
The worry for Emery and the PSG fans is that this could cause irreversible differences in the squad that affect them on the pitch. At the very least it could cause factions to form in the squad with an example of this being Dani Alves stepping in, for Neymar, to take a free kick off of Cavani. This needs to be avoided because squad harmony is key for any title-winning campaign, and even more so for the Champions League.