This time, there was no photo. Pushed to their limits by RC Lens last season, the Parisians dominated the 2023-24 French championship head and shoulders. Here they are crowned after 31 days. And this despite their 3-3 draw against Le Havre on Saturday, at the Parc des Princes. The defeat of their Monegasque runner-up in Lyon (3-2) this Sunday allowed them to break the champagne. Nice, Brest or even Monaco have never really had the opportunity to dream. PSG did the job and presented a record of their usual standards at this stage of the season (70 points). Still, this coronation, the 12th in the club’s history, is the result of collective work, with many players involved throughout the season and the inventions of Luis Enrique, a fan of a surprising turnover but efficient and useful. Author of a great start to the season, Manuel Ugarte had his moments. With his 11 goals, Gonçalo Ramos too. Ditto for Bradley Barcola and his six assists, not to mention the emergence of titi Warren Zaire-Emery. Other elements nevertheless had a more regular impact. The strong men of the Parisian title.

Certainly, Luis Enrique has only used it sparingly since mid-February in the league. Since he announced internally his decision to leave PSG. But Kylian Mbappé obviously had a lot to do with winning the title. Already crowned best player in Ligue 1 during the previous four seasons, there is no doubt that the Paris native will inherit the crown for the fifth time at the next UNFP Trophies ceremony. Four was already a record. Unless we imagine an improbable burst of heat from Lille Jonathan David (17 goals) or Lyonnais Alexandre Lacazette (15), Mbappé will also claim a sixth title of top scorer in L1, he who has already found the back of the net at 26 occasions, including six penalties, five doubles and two hat-tricks. Again, this will be a record. He will thus overtake Carlos Bianchi, Delio Onnis and Jean-Pierre Papin. 26 goals, this represents more or less a third of Paris-SG’s goals in L1. Glutton.

There is no need to push Luis Enrique much for him to start singing the praises of Ousmane Dembélé, “the most unbalancing player in the world”. It must be said that the French international winger (43 caps, 5 goals) has pulled out all the stops since the start of the season and his return to France, seven years after his departure from Rennes. Best passer in the championship (8), just ahead of… Mbappé (7), “Dembouz” has only scored one goal in his first 23 matches of the season in L1. Scorer on the outward and return legs against Barça in C1, he scored twice in Lorient (1-4). “With a superior quality of finishing, Dembélé would perhaps be Ballon d’or today,” summarized Julien Stéphan, his former coach at Stade Rennes, recently. At 26, Dembélé presents himself in his best light in Paris. Beyond the statistics, the ex-Barcelonese had a significant impact throughout the campaign. A real engine. Above all, he is spared from injuries and has transformed into a monster of consistency. Add to that the spectacular side, and you get a (very) good pick. In fact, at only €50 million (the amount of his clause at Barça), it’s the heist of the century!

At the start of the season, Vitinha was not a manager. Of course, he immediately played a lot, having good, even very good matches, but we always had the feeling that Luis Enrique needed even more, who lined up with him in every way. On the left, in front of the defense or as a relay. He also polished the bench for important matches, like the first Classic against OM (4-0). The Portuguese put his head down, worked and performed. Today, it is simply essential. He may not have the magic of Marco Verratti, but at least he knows how to be dangerous. In addition to his qualities as a recovery and organizer, “Viti” has scored seven goals and provided four assists in the league this season. Up close, from afar, it brings danger. Having a midfielder so involved in the last or penultimate gesture is a real change in culture on the PSG side.

“Not all players can evolve in their preferred register,” assures Luis Enrique. Even Mbappé paid to see, he who often had to play in the center under the orders of the Spaniard. One player is an exception to the rule: Achraf Hakimi. Forced to evolve in a narrow role given his qualities under Mauricio Pochettino and Christophe Galtier, the Moroccan found the right fit with “Lucho”, and vice versa. “Since the start of the season, Hakimi has found in our model an ideal and perfect approach to develop all his abilities. The players who arrive in the second line are very difficult to follow if you arrive with speed and have the ability to repeat the efforts,” analyzes the Spanish technician, who gives a lot of freedom to the native of Madrid, full-back, midfielder eccentric, in the heart of the game or downright winger on occasion. A role tailor-made for Hakimi, much more than a simple right-back. Three goals and five assists in Ligue 1. A little less good after the CAN. Quickly forgotten.

We could be worried about Gigio Donnarumma when Luis Enrique was appointed. We know the Spanish coach’s appetite for goalkeepers who are gifted in the kicking game. This is obviously not the Italian’s cup of tea… He has made progress in this area, it should be emphasized, even if it is not always seen in the Champions League. When it comes to L1, Donnarumma simply has no equal. A few failures here and there, like this expulsion to Le Havre (0-2) for example. A snag in the middle of a full season. He was able to shine in his preferred register, on his line, with for example high-flying performances in Lyon (1-4), Reims (0-3), Lens (0-2), Nantes (0- 2), in Monaco (0-0) or in Marseille (0-2). Wall. Ideally, Luis Enrique would like a PSG in control, which pushes the opponent away from the goal. However, there is room between theory and practice. And the Rouge et Bleu sometimes had to rely on the qualities of their last rampart to survive. The best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 is him.