Once the 'Prince' is gone, can anyone dethrone the 'King'?
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 21.08.24. | 12:32
Mbappe's departure gave a huge confidence boost to PSG's rivals that the "inviolable rulers" of Ligue 1 could finally be dethroned
Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain's biggest strength, is out of the picture, and now the Saints are very vulnerable. A situation that many clubs would like to use - Olympique Marseille, Lille, and Monaco in the first place.
Once Nasser Al-Khelaifi took control of the Parisians, the club's golden era began. The absolute domination in the French football, embodied in 12 titles in the past 14 seasons, could finally be broken - or at least PSG's competition hopes so - all because of Mbappe's departure.
PSG have won eight of the last 10 Ligue 1 titles 😮💨🏆 pic.twitter.com/BMMOqJqVsE
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) April 28, 2024
Yes, the Saints had won five Ligue 1 trophies before the Frenchman arrived, but as soon as he appeared at Monaco and led the Red and White to the title that stopped PSG's streak, the Parisians snatched him and brought him into their ranks. Since then, Paris Saint-Germain have won six titles in seven seasons, with Mbappe being the undisputable leader of the team.
🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé is leaving PSG! 👋
— Football View Hub (@FootballViewHub) May 10, 2024
He played in 306 matches, scoring 255 goals and making 108 assists.
He won:
- 6 Ligue 1 titles
- 3 Coupe de France titles
- 2 Coupe de la Ligue titles
- 3 Trophée des champions titles
He's also PSG's top goal scorer of all time. pic.twitter.com/KCT9hWarMn
Hence, it's normal that, once he is gone, the rivals' confidence and odds have improved. Based on the first-round performance and the transfer activities, Marseille is the first team that comes to mind regarding sides capable of upsetting PSG. Roberto De Zerbi on the bench and Mason Greenwood on the pitch have already delighted Marseille's fans with a convincing 5-1 victory over Brest, allowing them to dream of the first title after 15 years.
Monaco also started the season triumphantly, beating Saint-Etienne 1-0, but this team showed its real power, thrashing Barcelona 3-0 in the pre-season clash. The last team that won the title race against the Saints, Lille, with the outstanding Jonathan David, and Rennes, which brushed Lyon aside 3-0 in the first-round derby, are also in the narrow circle of clubs capable of mixing things up.
And yes, Paris Saint-Germain convincingly won their opening game, too. And yes, they have the best squad in France, but their long-term leader and the opponents' nightmare is gone now. And that means only one - the pretenders to the throne can finally start peacefully dreaming of the Ligue 1 trophy in their hands. Dreams sometimes do come true, right?
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