PSG vs Lorient: Parisiens lack cutting edge without Mbappe, Messi, Neymar, in Les Merlus draw

Toothless Paris Saint-Germain struggled to find a goal against Lorient as their first league game of the 2023/24 campaign ended in a draw.  

The Parisians returned to the Parc Des Princes for a fresh season, but not without the unrest brewing in the backdrop.

Kylian Mbappe trains with the "undesirables" as he and the club battle over his contract situation. Neymar has reportedly been transfer listed by the club, and Lionel Messi is at the start of another saga in the MLS. 

The French champions start this season without the three prongs in attack that bore so much promise at the start of the previous campaign, and their performance today lacked bite upfront.

PSG lacked any sort of meaningful force—talk more of an unstoppable one—to breach what looked like an Immovable set-up by Regis Le Bris.

The hosts dominated proceedings as expected, with new boy Goncalo Ramos testing Yvon Mvogo in goal for Lorient; other than that, it was sterile possession for Luis Enrique's men in the early exchanges.  

The visitors looked to break in transitions, and they almost punished the Parisiens when Laurent Abergel robbed Vitinha of the ball, but his strike grazed past the outside of the woodwork. 

The hosts continued to dominate possession and have mostly tame attempts on goal, or at least Mvogo was up to the task of denying PSG's attempts.  

The hosts huffed and puffed but only earned a draw after referee Bastien Dechepy called time on the match.