Without Dembele and Doue, Marquinhos is the one

PARIS, THURSDAY — Paris Saint-Germain commenced their mission to defend the UEFA Champions League title with a brilliant performance. Facing Atalanta at the Parc des Princes Stadium in France, Thursday (18/9/2025) early morning WIB, the team coached by Luis Enrique won decisively with a score of 4-0. This significant victory was achieved without the presence of two key forwards, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele. In the absence of these two stars, Marquinhos showcased his attacking prowess.

The Brazilian national team defender inspired PSG's significant victory by scoring the opening goal just two minutes into the match. The goal originated from Marquinhos's action of leaving his position as a center-back to help pressure Atalanta, who were attempting to build an attack from the back.

Efforts to press Marquinhos caused Daniel Maldini to lose the ball. From there, chaos ensued in Atalanta's defense, which Fabian Ruiz took advantage of to deliver a precise low cross to Marquinhos. This quick goal surprised Atalanta, who had reinforced their defense by employing a three-back system.

"A very good match. We are happy, we clearly deserved to win. I think we created many opportunities, and that is not easy because Atalanta defended with three center-backs against one striker, which is always difficult to deal with," said PSG Coach, Luis Enrique, after the match.

The absence of Dembele and Doue forced Marquinhos to showcase his hidden talent in attacking play. After scoring a goal, Marquinhos did not immediately revert to total defense.

He continues to assist PSG's attacking line, as evidenced by his increasing activity in the penalty area of Atalanta. Statistics show that Marquinhos is the fourth player with the most touches in the opponent's penalty area (5 times) in this match.

The effort resulted in a penalty when Marquinhos was fouled by Yunus Musah. However, the penalty was not converted into a goal by Bradley Barcola. PSG concluded the first half with a two-goal advantage. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled PSG's lead thanks to his dribbling ability to maneuver past the PSG defenders.

In the second half, PSG was able to maintain their attacking intensity. Two additional goals were scored. Left-back Nuno Mendes broke through Atalanta's solid defense. Substitute player Goncalo Ramos sealed PSG's victory with his tap-in at the end of the match.

"We are happy to win tonight. Atalanta is a very good team, but I think today's match belonged to us. We gave everything for our best performance. We tried to showcase team play, and today was ours," said Kvaratskhelia.

The victory over Atalanta means more than just three points for PSG. From this match, Enrique showcased a new dimension of his defensive players in terms of attacking, noting the significant contributions of Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes in this game. In addition to being adept at thwarting attacks, PSG's defenders also proved capable of disrupting the opponent's defense.

"I think this is a very good start, reflecting our style of football. Against Atalanta, who are very tough, with good physical strength and technique. They pressed and created problems, but we were in very good condition and deserved this victory," said Enrique.

Enrique only accompanied his team for half of the match. He resumed his new habit of watching the game from the stands instead of the sidelines. Enrique also watched his team from the stands during their match against Lens in the continuation of the French League.

Watching from the stands makes Enrique comfortable. He can observe the opponent's strategy from a height, allowing for a more accurate analysis of every movement of the opposing players. "Having more information is important for me," he stated.

After defeating Atalanta, PSG will face a tough test by visiting Barcelona's home ground. Observing that his team was able to win without conceding, thanks to his habit of monitoring the match from the stands, it is possible that Enrique will do the same at Barca.

Meanwhile, Atalanta's coach, Ivan Juric, assessed that his team attempted to perform well at the beginning of the match. However, conceding a quick goal to Marquinhos disrupted their plans.

"They are a very great team, truly extraordinary. We played very well in the first ten minutes, but it became difficult after we conceded in the second minute. We must not be too disappointed in ourselves because they are a very extraordinary team," said Ivan. (REUTERS)