Six goals but shaky defence: Zabarnyi under fire after PSG-Slovan

Paris Saint-Germain began their Ligue des Champions campaign with a commanding victory over Slovan Bratislava (6-1) on Wednesday evening, but the goal conceded late in the match immediately revived concerns about Luis Enrique’s defence.

It is Ilya Zabarnyi, signed from Bournemouth this summer, who is at the centre of criticism. The Ukrainian defender was caught out by Suleiman Camara, gifting Slovan their only goal of the night. A familiar scenario: two weeks earlier, PSG had lost 2-1 to Monaco in Ligue 1, also conceding the decisive goal on the opponent’s first shot on target.

Analyst Pierre Ménès described this flaw as a « disease » in his match review. « Unfortunately, they conceded a goal on Slovan’s first shot on target again. Just like against Monaco. It’s really a disease that Paris will have to get under control. It’s not possible that every time there’s a shot on target, it ends up in the back of the net. » He then questioned Zabarnyi’s reliability, suggesting that Lucas Hernandez, despite being sidelined, would be « more dependable », while acknowledging the difficulty of fielding two left-footed defenders alongside Willian Pacho.

Despite these reservations, the victory ends a run of four matches without a win across all competitions for PSG. The Paris club return to Ligue 1 on Sunday, away at Stade Brestois, with the objective of finally securing their first league win of the season.