PSG begin title defence with bigger target in sight, a 3rd straight Champions League crown

A 6th straight French league crown is the expectation. A 3rd consecutive Champions League title is the dream, and probably the standard this squad is now being measured against.

That is the reality PSG have built for themselves.

PSG open their Ligue 1 campaign against Rennes on Sunday hoping to start smoothly before the Champions League gets underway on September 8, but even domestically, Luis Enrique was quick to push back against the idea that France has become too easy for his team.

"When the season starts, everyone says the league is easy," he said. "Nothing is easy. I do not remember any easy campaign in the French league, at least not in the last 3 years."

PSG won Ligue 1 by 6 points last season, the 2nd smallest margin in their domestic title wins since Lille shocked them in 2021. By comparison, they finished 19 points clear of Marseille the season before, and across the last 5 campaigns their average winning margin has still been around 10 points.

After finally turning domestic superiority into Champions League success in 2024-25, PSG followed it up by winning the trophy again last season, beating Arsenal on penalties in the final. That has left them chasing something very few clubs in football history have ever managed.

Only Real Madrid, Ajax and Bayern Munich have won the European Cup or Champions League 3 years in a row.

"Everyone thinks we can win, but that is only theory. Now we have to prove on the pitch that we are capable of it," Enrique said when asked about PSG's European hopes. "Historically, it is very difficult to find a team that always wins, but we are trying to match those teams."

Backed by Qatar, they have once again strengthened in the market while keeping hold of all their key players. Ferran Torres has arrived from Barcelona after scoring the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final, while Lucas Digne has returned to provide cover for Nuno Mendes at left-back.

Vitinha made it clear the hunger inside the dressing room has not faded either.

"Like last year, we are still hungry for victories and titles," the midfielder said. "It is very difficult to maintain that level, but we are still hungry and we will aim to win."

Last season PSG managed their squad cleverly in Ligue 1 to maximise their Champions League push, and they are expected to do something similar again. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, for example, started only 11 of 34 league matches last season, a reminder of how aggressively Luis Enrique rotates when he believes the bigger prize demands it.

They finished 2nd last season and spent long stretches at the top before falling away, but they have since lost coach Pierre Sage to Crystal Palace. Still, they made an early statement under new boss Dino Toppmoeller by beating 10-man PSG in the French Super Cup last weekend.

That win will not change the balance of power on its own, but it did show PSG are not untouchable every time they step on the pitch.

Lens midfielder Florian Thauvin also sounded upbeat about life under the new coach, saying the pair share the same football ideas and immediately clicked after Toppmoeller's appointment.

Luis Enrique is 1 of only 4 managers still in place from the 16 clubs that started last season with the same coach, alongside Lyon's Paulo Fonseca, Rennes boss Franck Haise and Le Havre manager Didier Digard. So while PSG enter the campaign with continuity and depth, much of the division around them is starting again in one form or another.

Marseille have replaced the sacked Habib Beye with Bruno Genesio after missing out on Champions League qualification, while Carlo Ancelotti's son Davide Ancelotti has taken over from Genesio at Lille.

Elsewhere, former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid left-back Filipe Luis has joined Monaco, while Liam Rosenior will try to rebuild his reputation after a rough spell at Chelsea by taking charge at Paris FC.