Six goals, ten wins, no Dembélé: PSG's understudies run riot in Villarreal

Without four injured stars, Luis Enrique's reshuffled side scored four times in 17 minutes, set a Champions League record and made a statement about the depth of this squad.

There was a version of Tuesday night in which Paris Saint-Germain looked short. Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes were all missing at the Estadio de la Cerámica, and Villarreal had a new coach and a home crowd. Instead the champions produced their most complete European display of the autumn and won 6-0.

The damage was done almost before the hosts had settled. João Neves headed in at nine minutes after Pacho flicked on Doué's corner. Doué scored at 12, Senny Mayulu volleyed in at 13 and Fabián Ruiz finished Akliouche's cut-back at 17. Four goals in eight minutes of play between the first and the fourth; the tie was over.

Ruiz added a lovely fifth five minutes after the break, cutting past Veiga and lifting the ball through Gulácsi's legs. Then, at 78 minutes, the substitute David Boly, a 17-year-old right-back from the academy, scored with a deflected shot from Neves's pass on his Champions League debut. Ruiz, with the second brace of his career, was named man of the match.

According to Playmakerstats, PSG's 20 goals across the first four league-phase games is a Champions League record, beating the 17 Bayern Munich managed in 2021-22. PSG have now gone 14 Champions League games unbeaten, equalling Lyon's French record from 2004 to 2006, and sit top of the 36-team table with 12 points and a goal difference of plus 15.

How the reshuffle worked

The interesting part is how Luis Enrique replaced his missing attackers. He did not hand the No. 9 role to the summer signing Ferran Torres. He started Mayulu centrally between Maghnes Akliouche and Désiré Doué, a front three with no fixed target man, and left Torres on the bench until the hour.

It suited the night. PSG had 71 per cent of the ball, 22 shots to 14 and 43 touches in the Villarreal box to 10, with an expected-goals count of 2.69 against 0.66 (Fotmob figures). Akliouche, who set up two of the first four goals, earned an 8 from L'Équipe (as compiled by Canal Supporters), level with Hakimi and Neves and behind only Ruiz's 9.

Set pieces mattered again too. Neves's opener was his eighth PSG goal from a dead ball out of 15 in total, per Opta via the club, and since 2024-25 PSG have scored 19 Champions League goals inside the first 15 minutes of games, more than any other club. The early-strike habit is no accident; it is how this team breaks a block before it sets.

"We are not champions yet, nor in the final in Madrid. None of that is a given."

Luis Enrique after the 6-0 win, as quoted by Foot Mercato (translated from French)

The coach refuses to celebrate

Luis Enrique was almost apologetic afterwards. "I am not very happy to see my opponent in that kind of difficulty," he said, according to Foot Mercato, before adding that after 3-0 "there are few teams that can overcome that". His message to the squad was clear: four wins guarantee nothing in a format where the top eight go straight to the last 16.

Lucas Hernández said the same thing in plainer terms: PSG are "only halfway there" and, "as things stand, we haven't qualified yet" (club reaction). The remaining league-phase games are Roma at home on November 25, Aston Villa away on December 8, then Como away and Galatasaray at home in January. Barcelona, beaten 4-2 in Paris on October 20, were second with nine points after Tuesday's games.

What the night really showed is the strength of the squad. With four regular starters in the treatment room, PSG still beat a Champions League side by six. The question for January is not whether they can cope without Kvaratskhelia, who is out for months, but whether they want one more winger anyway. More on that in Transfer News.

Hakimi at Le Havre: the right-back who keeps scoring like a forward

Three goals and two assists in a 5-1 win on Friday gave Achraf Hakimi a night no defender had produced in Ligue 1's Opta era.

Four days before Villarreal, Luis Enrique rested several regulars for the trip to Le Havre, and PSG still won 5-1 at the Stade Océane on Friday, October 30. Josh Maja put the hosts ahead at 18 minutes. Mika Godts equalised at 26, and then Achraf Hakimi took over: a goal at 28 after a VAR check for offside, a direct free kick at 55 and a third at 69.

By the count beIN Sports reported from Opta, Hakimi was directly involved in five goals, three scored and two assisted. He is only the seventh player to manage that in a Ligue 1 match since 2006-07, and the first defender. In his previous 135 Ligue 1 appearances he had never been involved in more than two in a game. "No, it's not the match of my life," he said.

His coach called him "the best right-back in the world" and "clearly an attacker when we have the ball", yet also told him off for arguing with the linesman during the VAR check. That balance is typical of Luis Enrique: praise for the output, and a reminder that the standards do not move. The win kept PSG top of Ligue 1 on 20 points, two clear of Lille.

The Digest's marks for both games

Our own ratings out of 10, informed by the cited match reports, stats and the published marks of L'Équipe and Le Parisien. Starters, plus substitutes who played at least 10 minutes.

Villarreal 0-6 PSG (Champions League, Nov 3)

Two goals, the second a lob through Gulácsi's legs; man of the match.

Headed the opener from Pacho's flick and set up Boly's goal.

Assisted Doué and Ruiz in a decisive first 17 minutes; off at 60'.

Wore the armband and earned an 8 from L'Équipe; replaced by Boly at 74'.

Started centrally and volleyed in the third goal at 13'.

On at 74' for his Champions League debut and scored at 78'.

Ran midfield in a 71% possession display; off at 74'.

Scored the second and delivered the corner for the first.

Flicked on the opener and helped hold Villarreal to 0.66 xG.

Calm in a back four that kept a clean sheet.

Clean sheet at left-back, and the clearest voice after: only halfway there.

Little to do behind a dominant side; a quiet clean sheet.

Thirty minutes off the bench after coming on at 60'.

Thirty minutes with the game long settled.

On for Vitinha at 74'; tidy.

On for Doué at 74' and booked for time-wasting.

Chart: the Digest's marks out of 10 for Villarreal 0-6 PSG; each mark is printed at the end of its bar, with the reason beneath.

Le Havre 1-5 PSG (Ligue 1, Oct 30)

Hat-trick plus two assists; five goal involvements, a first for a Ligue 1 defender since 2006-07.

Equalised at 26' and had a hand in Hakimi's third, per psg.fr.

Scored the fourth at 62' and set up Hakimi's first.

Started in midfield; took the armband when Hakimi went off.

Started in midfield as PSG had 72% of the ball.

Started in midfield before making way at 63'.

Started at left-back in a heavily rotated side.

Part of a defence that conceded once but allowed Le Havre real chances.

Same story: one goal conceded, and Maja hit the post at 62'.

Beaten only by Maja's 18th-minute finish.

On for Hakimi at 71' and saw out the win at right-back.

Started up front but did not score, a fifth straight game without a goal.

On for Akliouche at 63'.

On for Godts at 71'.

Chart: the Digest's marks out of 10 for Le Havre 1-5 PSG; each mark is printed at the end of its bar, with the reason beneath.

Troyes at the Parc: a promoted side with the league's bluntest attack

Stéphane Dumont's newcomers just climbed out of the bottom three. They have not beaten PSG since 2001.

Troyes (ESTAC) arrive at the Parc des Princes on Saturday as the 16th-placed side in Ligue 1, on eight points from nine games (two wins, two draws, five defeats, seven scored and 16 conceded). They sealed promotion as Ligue 2 leaders in April, two years after dropping to the third tier on the pitch and being reinstated to Ligue 2 by administrative decision.

Their coach, Stéphane Dumont, sets up with a back four, shown as a 4-2-3-1 at Lorient and a 4-3-3 elsewhere. Goals are spread thin: no Troyes player has more than one in the league. The names to watch are the veteran forward and penalty taker Renaud Ripart, the midfielder Antoine Mille (a goal and an assist) and Timothé Nkada, who set up the opener against Le Mans.

The form line is improving. Last Saturday's 2-0 home win over Le Mans, through Diop and Boura, lifted them out of the relegation zone, and they drew 0-0 at Toulouse the week before. Before that came five straight defeats, starting with a 6-2 home thrashing by Strasbourg in September and ending with a 3-1 home loss to Lens.

Where Troyes can be hurt

The vulnerabilities are obvious. Before Le Mans, Sports Mole noted they had the league's lowest goal tally and the joint-fewest big chances created. Their seven goals are still the joint-lowest in Ligue 1, and they have one away win in four. Against a PSG side that has scored 11 times in its last two games, sitting deep and hoping is a plan with a short life expectancy.

History is no comfort for the visitors either. The last time they met in Paris, in October 2022, PSG won 4-3 with Messi, Neymar and Mbappé all scoring; the last meeting, in Troyes in May 2023, ended 3-1 to PSG. Troyes have not beaten PSG since November 2001.

The Kvaratskhelia gap: PSG weigh a January winger

The Georgian's torn ACL has turned a vague wish list into a live search. Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza is the most concrete name.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 4-2 win over Barcelona on October 20 and is expected to miss more than six months. L'Équipe had reported, via Culturap, that PSG were already looking for a winger for January before the injury. The injury has made it urgent.

Luis Enrique has been careful in public. "No injury means you have to sign new players," he said on October 24, according to VIPSG, "but we remain open to opportunities." Luis Campos has said nothing new on the record since August, when he told Ligue 1+ the window was not finished.

The most solid lead is Ibrahim Maza, the 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen playmaker under contract to 2030. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg reports concrete interest, with Maza on PSG's shortlist as a possible Kvaratskhelia replacement. Maza himself told RTL and Sky that PSG "would be a huge dream", while also naming Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal. Certainty: concrete interest. A claimed first offer comes only from a fan account and is unverified.

Chelsea's Estêvão has also been linked with a loan, with TEAMtalk reporting three Chelsea conditions. Fabrizio Romano has played it down: no transfer alert, and a January exit is not a Chelsea priority. Certainty: rumour. Nico Williams, meanwhile, said on October 26 that he had turned down offers from clubs including PSG and Arsenal. That thread is dead.

Ferran Torres: a World Cup hero on the bench

The €50m summer signing has gone five games without a goal. Spanish reports of regret are thinly sourced.

Ferran Torres joined from Barcelona on August 15 for about €50m on a contract to 2031, weeks after scoring Spain's extra-time winner in the World Cup final. He scored seven in his first six PSG games. Since the 2-1 win in Marseille on September 20 he has not scored, a run of five games by Foot01's count.

At Villarreal, with Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia out, he still started on the bench. Foot01 framed that as Luis Enrique losing patience, citing unnamed Spanish press; that is opinion, not reporting. L'Équipe's line, relayed by Foot01 on October 30, was the opposite: the coach is "very satisfied" and the dip is "a logical phase".

The "wants to go back to Barcelona" story, picked up by Foot Sur 7 from ElNacional.cat, names no sources, and even Foot Sur 7 calls an exit within six months hard to imagine. Certainty: low-grade rumour. The more useful reading is tactical: with Mayulu thriving centrally, Torres's route back may be on the left, where Kvaratskhelia's absence leaves minutes.

Contracts: Doué's big offer, and the academy pair PSG want to lock down

RMC says talks have opened with Quentin Ndjantou, while David Boly is in line for a first professional deal in January.

RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins reports, via Maxifoot, that PSG have opened talks with Quentin Ndjantou, 19, on a five-year deal to 2031; his current contract runs to 2028. The same report says PSG want to give David Boly a five-year first professional contract once he turns 18 on January 22, and that the player wants to stay. Certainty: talks opened.

Désiré Doué (contract to 2029) received a first verbal offer in late October for a deal to 2031 or 2032 with a large raise, RMC reported, as relayed by VIPSG. No agreement yet. PSG also still intend to extend Kvaratskhelia to 2032 despite the injury, per RMC via Foot01.

Ousmane Dembélé's extension remains unsigned. An agreement in principle to 2030 was reported on August 31, but the player said on September 2 that "nothing is signed yet" (ParisUnited); there has been no announcement since. Already official since September 4: Luis Enrique to 2030; Pacho, Neves, Beraldo and Mayulu to 2031; Fabián Ruiz to 2028 (psg.fr).

The Rumour Mill

Aleksey Batrakov (Galatasaray). Lead only. Reports this week say PSG are keen on the Russian midfielder, who joined Galatasaray from Lokomotiv in August; not yet traced to a primary reporter.

Willian Pacho to Barcelona. Weak rumour. Fichajes.net traces it to a social account and says there is no formal offer; Pacho extended to 2031 in September.

Vitinha to Real Madrid. Rumour, played down. AS, via ParisFans, says there is no concrete offer and the player is very happy; contract to 2029.

Lucas Chevalier, January exit. Lead only, from a fan account. He has not played behind Safonov this season.

Saïd El Mala (Köln). Link only. He extended with Köln to 2031 in August, reportedly with no exit clause.

Rotation, a new front three and an armband on the move

Luis Enrique made five changes between Le Havre and Villarreal and won both games by a combined 11-1.

The selection pattern this week was striking. At Le Havre, Vitinha, Neves, Ruiz, Pacho and Doué did not start; four days later all five did. Safonov, Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Hernández, Akliouche and Mayulu started both. Luis Enrique said before Villarreal that if his side thought results so far would win the game, "we are mistaken", and he picked accordingly.

The coach has been open about trusting youth. "I'm sure they have the level, Senny Mayulu in particular," he said, per Planète PSG. Mayulu has now scored against Lyon, Le Havre and Villarreal in successive games, and has played centrally as well as wide. Dro, Beraldo, Ndjantou and Boly all had real minutes this week.

Captaincy, goalkeepers and the injury list

With Marquinhos out, Achraf Hakimi has worn the armband, handing it to Warren Zaïre-Emery when he was substituted at Le Havre. In goal, Matvey Safonov is clearly first choice; "I play every match," he said in September (Footeo). The third goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni returned to the squad for Villarreal.

The injury list is unchanged and none of the four is expected back for Troyes. Dembélé (left thigh) was given an estimate of about three weeks by Le Parisien and RMC, which points to Nice on November 21 at the earliest. L'Équipe put Marquinhos (right thigh) at three to four weeks; Nuno Mendes (left thigh) is hoped back after the international break (VIPSG summary).

Luis Enrique's next press conference is on Friday at 1:00 PM in Paris (4:00 AM Pacific), according to VIPSG, when the Troyes squad should become clearer. A footnote: Luis Enrique now has 127 wins as PSG coach, the most of anyone in the role, according to Sud Radio (single source).

The league table

Ligue 1 top six after matchday 9 (Foot Mercato): PSG 20 points, Lille 18, Lyon 17, Paris FC 17, Rennes 16, Marseille 15. Troyes are 16th on 8.

Boly's night, Mayulu's run, and a hard lesson for the U19s

The academy delivered two goals in the first team's record win, on the same day the youth side lost 3-0 at Villarreal.

David Boly, born in Colombes in January 2009, has been at the PSG academy since 2022 and made his senior debut in the Coupe de France last December. On Tuesday he came on for Hakimi at 74 minutes and scored four minutes later. At 17 years and 285 days he is PSG's second-youngest scorer in Europe, five days older than Zaïre-Emery was.

"Making my Champions League debut in a match like that was an incredible feeling," Boly told the club afterwards.

Sports Mole, citing L'Équipe, reports that his academy deal runs to 2027 and that he has a large first-professional-contract offer he has not yet signed. With RMC adding that PSG plan a five-year deal once he turns 18, the club's intent looks clear.

Senny Mayulu, 20, who scored in the 2025 Champions League final, has become a starter in all but name during the injury crisis. Quentin Ndjantou, 19, made two substitute appearances this week and was booked for time-wasting at Villarreal; his own contract talks are covered in Transfer News.

U19s and loanees

The UEFA Youth League side had a rougher Tuesday, losing 3-0 to Villarreal U19, with the hosts scoring in the first minute. PSG U19 are 12th on seven points from four games (a 6-1 win over Slovan, 2-0 at Man City, 1-1 with Barcelona and this defeat). Next is Roma U19 on November 25.

On loan, the goalkeeper Renato Marin played 90 minutes for Nacional in a 1-0 defeat at Arouca on November 1, after keeping a clean sheet against Braga the week before. Gabriel Moscardo has six La Liga appearances for Espanyol, two of them starts. Khalil Ayari is on loan at Dunkerque in Ligue 2; we found no recent match data for him.

Two late-drama draws, and Bayern next at the Parc

PSG rescued a point at Manchester City, then shared the Paris derby. A big Champions League night follows on Tuesday.

PSG Féminine travelled to Manchester City for the third Women's Champions League league-phase game last Thursday and looked beaten when Khadija Shaw scored a penalty at 85 minutes, after a foul by Griedge Mbock. Three minutes later Tara Elimbi Gilbert equalised, and goalkeeper Oliwia Peda's saves had kept PSG in it. The detailed report is from one outlet; the score is confirmed elsewhere.

Sunday's derby at Charléty against Paris FC also finished 1-1. Clara Matéo put Paris FC ahead at 11 minutes, PSG levelled at 29, and Evelyne Viens had a stoppage-time winner ruled out for offside. Sources disagree on who is credited with PSG's equaliser, so we have left it unnamed.

Where they stand

PSG are second in the Première Ligue on 16 points from seven games, five behind OL Lyonnes on 21 (Fotmob). Earlier in October they beat Fleury 3-1 and Montpellier 1-0 but lost 4-0 to OL Lyonnes.

In Europe, PSG have five points from three games (1-1 at Real Madrid, 5-0 against OH Leuven, 1-1 at City). The top four go straight to the quarter-finals, which makes Tuesday's visit of Bayern Munich to the Parc des Princes the biggest night of their autumn. First, Le Havre visit the Campus on Friday (psg.fr fixtures).

Zidane's list on Friday; Brazil call none of PSG's men

The November window is next week. Here is where PSG's players stand.

Every PSG player who featured at Villarreal and Le Havre is rated above, and the women's European draw at Manchester City is covered in the women's section. The international window comes next: France's coach Zinédine Zidane names his squad on Friday at 6:00 PM in Paris (9:00 AM Pacific).

France lead Nations League group A1 with 10 points from four games and play Italy in Milan on November 12 and Turkey in Bordeaux on November 15. Dembélé, a regular in recent squads, is injured. Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad, announced on October 29 for friendlies against Japan and Singapore, includes no PSG players; Marquinhos is injured.

Other federations had not published November lists for PSG's internationals (including Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Ecuador and Ukraine) by the time we went to press. We will cover how they get on next week.

Club of the Season again. PSG were named men's Club of the Season at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on October 26 for the second year running, with a record 10 men's nominees; Kvaratskhelia was highest-placed in sixth. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi stayed in Paris for the Lyon game instead.

Ligue 1 rights tender opens. The LFP launched its tender for 2027 to 2032 on November 3, with no reserve price set yet, L'Équipe reports via Foot01; bids could cover all matches or exclusive distribution of Ligue 1+.

Stadium decision edges closer. Le Parisien reported on October 23 that none of the three options (an enlarged Parc, Poissy or Massy) has pulled clear, with a priority site expected to be named before year-end.

L'Oréal signs on. L'Oréal Groupe became a club partner in October, its first football deal, running to 2028.

Saturday kickoff moved. The LFP pushed PSG v Troyes back 20 minutes to 9:05 PM in Paris after Auxerre v Paris FC was moved at the Yonne prefecture's request (Foot Sur 7).

Fri Nov 6 · 9:00 AM PT
France squad announcement (Zidane), for Italy and Turkey

Fri Nov 6 · 12:00 PM PT
PSG Féminine v Le Havre, Première Ligue, PSG Campus (psg.fr time; one listing differs)

Sat Nov 7 · 12:05 PM PT
PSG v Troyes, Ligue 1 matchday 10, Parc des Princes. US: beIN Sports

Tue Nov 10 · 12:00 PM PT
PSG Féminine v Bayern Munich, Women's Champions League, Parc des Princes

Thu Nov 12 · 11:45 AM PT
Italy v France, Nations League, Milan (just beyond this week)

Sat Nov 21 · 8:15 AM PT
Nice v PSG, Ligue 1 matchday 11, Allianz Riviera

Times converted from Paris (CET) to US Pacific (PST), nine hours behind; kickoffs can still move, as Troyes did this week. Sources: psg.fr men, psg.fr women, LFP, FFF.

Standings snapshot

Ligue 1 after matchday 9: 1. PSG 20 pts, 2. Lille 18, 3. Lyon 17, 4. Paris FC 17, 5. Rennes 16, 6. Marseille 15; Troyes 16th on 8. The full top-six table is in The Squad. Champions League: PSG 1st on 12 points, Barcelona 2nd on 9 after Tuesday.