Are the new-look PSG serious Champions League contenders?

Soccer Football – Ligue 1 – Paris St Germain v Caen – Parc des Princes, Paris, France – August 12, 2018 Paris St Germain fans with a flag REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

A summer of change has left Paris Saint-Germain with a radically revamped squad, shorn of some of its biggest stars, and for now they remain a work in progress in what could be Kylian Mbappe’s final season in the French capital.

They face Newcastle United in the Champions League on Wednesday in a tie that captures the imagination beyond its significance as the first meeting of the clubs backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively.

PSG already have the upper hand in a tough Group F after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 a fortnight ago while Newcastle drew 0-0 with AC Milan.

Avoid defeat at St James’ Park and Luis Enrique’s team will be well on course to qualify for the knockout stages.

Yet PSG’s revenue, far greater than that of their group rivals, means they shouldn’t be struggling to reach the last 16 and getting beyond this stage has never been the problem anyway in recent years.

The problem has been after that, with the Parisians losing in the last 16 five times in seven seasons.

Appointed in July, Luis Enrique won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 and his remit is to at least take PSG back into the latter stages while continuing their domestic dominance.

However, winning the competition “is not something we are obsessed with at all, that’s finished,” insisted president Nasser al-Khelaifi recently.

“We are in the middle of building a new identity, our own style and way of playing, and a new culture.

“That is what we wanted to do, and results will follow.”

– Emphasis on possession –
Lionel Messi, Neymar, Marco Verratti and Sergio Ramos were the headline names to