You can be thirteen points ahead of your rival and still be considered in “average” form.
This is the problem when we trivialize the exceptional.
Neither flamboyant nor alarming, PSG widened its gap this weekend at the top of Ligue 1 by defeating Nantes (0-2) when at the same time, Nice and Monaco lost and Brest took the opportunity to take 2nd place after their 1-0 victory over OM.
There is a sense of déjà vu with this abysmal gap.
This is the eighth time since the arrival of the Qatari owners in the summer of 2011 that PSG is in the lead after 22 days.
Not good news for the suspense, since each time, in this configuration, he ended up champion of France.
Not good publicity either for the League, which desperately seeks to convince people of the attractiveness and competitiveness of the French elite.
Luis Enrique himself admitted at a press conference on Saturday evening that adversity was not there this year.
“We may lack motivation because we don't have a direct opponent who will push us but that's due to our merits.
We will use the championship to improve the way we play.
We will try to continue to win but nothing is done mathematically.
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Still far from the 2015-2016 vintage
And to think that this supremacy of PSG has already been more overwhelming... In 2015-2016, 21 points already separated PSG and AS Monaco at this stage of the competition.
The gap grew stronger over the weekends until reaching 30 points at the end of the season, which constitutes a record in the history of Ligue 1. In 2018-2019, Thomas Tuchel's group was also ultradominant with 19 points ahead of Lille after 22 games.
In terms of points too, this PSG is in the soft underbelly with its 53 points (16 wins, 5 draws, 1 defeat).
He has already done much better (62 in 2018-2019), but also much worse (44 in 2014-2015, 45 in 2012-2013 and 2020-2021).
As is often the case, the brilliance of PSG's season will now depend on its success in the cups.
In the Champions League, elimination in the round of 16 against Real Sociedad (2-0 first leg victory on Wednesday, return on March 5) would be a stain.
We have in mind the recent debacles against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
In the Coupe de France too, a misstep will quickly be described as a fiasco.
These last two seasons, the adventure also ended in the round of 16.
For now, PSG is still in the running on all counts.