PSG 2022/23 season review: More trophies & more headaches

Paris Saint-Germain added a further two trophies to the cabinet during the 2022/23 season, and yet they head into the summer with an overriding feeling of frustration.

Winning Ligue 1 and the Trophee des Champions are annual goals for PSG, whose dominance in French football renders such victories largely meaningless. Supporters obviously appreciate the extra silverware but will have justifiable concerns over just how hard they had to work to get there this season - and that's before questions are asked over their shortcomings elsewhere.

Here's a look back at a confusing 2022/23 for PSG.

Outlook heading into the 2022/23 season

PSG fans were livid at the end of the 2021/22 season but rediscovered their optimism fairly quickly as Kylian Mbappe signed a new contract, Christophe Galtier arrived in the dugout and Luis Campos signed up as a sporting advisor.

In came four new midfielders as PSG sought to build a squad which would cruise to Ligue 1 glory and launch a genuine push to win the Champions League. Domestic success was demanded and there was cautious optimism that, by keeping Mbappe, European dominance was a genuine possibility this season.

Many fans expected a record-setting Ligue 1 campaign, but that's not exactly what they got.

PSG 2022/23 transfers in

PSG 2022/23 transfers out

PSG 2022/23 player of the season

Kylian Mbappe

Who could have possibly seen this coming?

Ligue 1's top scorer, Kylian Mbappe ended his campaign with 41 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions, standing out in his star-studded trio and often being the one to drag PSG to results when they needed him most.

There's a reason PSG were, and are, so desperate to keep him.

Honourable mentions: Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Nuno Mendes

PSG 2022/23 goal of the season

Achraf Hakimi vs Toulouse

One look at the honourable mentions here and you'll see just how unfortunate Mbappe or Lionel Messi was to not walk away with this prize.

In the end, we've given the nod to Achraf Hakimi, who cut inside onto his 'weaker' left foot and sent this screamer of a strike flying into the back of the Toulouse net back in February.

With PSG only winning Ligue 1 by one point, it's a goal which ended up being a pretty significant one in the team's season.

Honourable mentions: Kylian Mbappe vs Nantes, Lionel Messi vs Maccabi Haifa, Lionel Messi vs Benfica, Kylian Mbappe vs Maccabi Haifa, Lionel Messi vs Troyes, Lionel Messi vs Clermont Foot

PSG 2022/23 performance of the season

Lille 1-7 PSG

Galtier, who won Ligue 1 with Lille in the 2020/21 campaign, returned to his old stomping ground in the third week of the season and put on an absolute masterclass as PSG romped to a huge 7-1 victory.

Mbappe scored after eight seconds en route to a hat-trick, while Neymar bagged two and Messi got in on the action as well, in what felt like a massive signal of intent against a Lille team who ended up finishing fifth in Ligue 1.

We saw what PSG were capable of at their dazzling best, but unfortunately, we didn't see that too often over the remainder of the season.

Honourable mentions: PSG 2-1 Juventus, Marseille 0-3 PSG

PSG 2022/23 signing of the season

Vitinha

Most PSG fans are agreed that the club need to shift their transfer strategy going forwards, which doesn't really paint their latest crop of signings in the best light.

Having spent plenty of money, most of PSG's new signings failed to hit the heights but, out of all the strugglers, it was Vitinha who did the most to cement his place in the squad going forwards.

Only four outfield players played more minutes than Vitinha, whose availability definitely works in his favour here. The 23-year-old was a solid addition to the midfield and provided a respectable base from which to improve next year.

Honourable mention: Nordi Mukiele

PSG 2022/23 most improved player

Lionel Messi

Look, we know this is a stupid shout. Messi is Messi and you can't improve on that.

That being said, when you look back at Messi's debut season in Paris and just how disappointing that truly was, it's hard not to recognise the effort he made to move closer to his best form once again,

Messi ended the season with 21 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, making him one of just two players in Europe's top divisions to hit 20 in both this season. He's back.

Honourable mention: Nuno Mendes

PSG 2022/23 disappointment of the season

The Champions League...again

Many players failed to hit the heights expected of them, and yet none underwhelmed more than PSG did as a whole when they limped out of the Champions League last 16 at Bayern Munich's expense.

Yes, Bayern are very, very good, and there's no shame in losing to them, but PSG are also supposed to be in that upper echelon of teams. They were among the pre-season favourites to win the whole tournament, so to lose 1-0 at home and 2-0 away without much of a fight was tough to watch.

It served as a stark reminder of just how much work needs to be done at PSG, even after all the money they have spent.

Honourable mentions: Carlos Soler, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Neymar's ankle

PSG 2022/23 statistics

Most appearances

• Vitinha - 48 (36 Ligue 1, 3 Coupe de France, 1 Trophee des Champions, 8 Champions League)
• Gianluigi Donnarumma - 48 (38 Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de France, 1 Trophee des Champions, 8 Champions League)
• Sergio Ramos - 45 (33 Ligue 1, 3 Coupe de France, 1 Trophee des Champions, 8 Champions League)
• Danilo Pereira - 44 (33 Ligue 1, 3 Coupe de France, 1 Trophee des Champions, 7 Champions League)
• Marquinhos - 44 (33 Ligue 1, 2 Coupe de France, 1 Trophee des Champions, 8 Champions League)

Top scorers

• Kylian Mbappe - 41 (29 Ligue 1, 5 Coupe de France, 7 Champions League)
• Lionel Messi - 21 (16 Ligue 1, 1 Trophee des Champions, 4 Champions League)
• Neymar - 18 (13 Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de France, 2 Trophee des Champions, 2 Champions League)
• Carlos Soler - 6 (3 Ligue 1, 2 Coupe de France, 1 Champions League)
• Achraf Hakimi - 5 (5 Ligue 1)

Most assists

• Lionel Messi - 20 (16 Ligue 1, 4 Champions League)
• Neymar - 17 (11 Ligue 1, 3 Coupe de France, 3 Champions League)
• Kylian Mbappe - 10 (6 Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de France, 3 Champions League)
• Nuno Mendes - 7 (6 Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de France)
• Achraf Hakimi - 6 (4 Ligue 1, 2 Champions League)

Chelsea 2022/23 record in all competitions

• Ligue 1 - P38, W27, D4, L7, GF 89, GA 40, GD 49, Pts 85, winners
• Coupe de France - P3, W2, L1, GF 11, GA 3, round of 16
• Trophee des Champions - P1, W1, L0, GF 4, GA 0, winners
• Champions League - P8, W4, D2, L2, GF 16, GA 10, last 16

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