After another summer of big spending, season two of theQatar Sports Investment five-year plan to take Paris Saint-Germain to thesummit, in France and abroad, sees the capital club billed as the overwhelmingfavourites to claim the Ligue 1 crown. Back in the Champions League followingan eight-year hiatus, the Parisians also possess high hopes of success inEurope's top club competition after the acquisitions of Zlatan Ibrahimovic,Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Carlo Ancelotti took over at the end of December last year withPSG in first place following Antoine Kombouare's dismissal, but the Italianultimately failed to guide his charges to the title, with Montpellier pippingthem at the post. This time, however, he has had the benefit of a fullpre-season in charge. "The objective is to be competitive and to do wellin the Champions League. In the league, we finished second last season. For usto improve, the next step is to therefore reach the top spot," respondedthe former Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea boss. The arrival of Sweden captainIbrahimovic from AC Milan gives QSI the genuine superstar that they wanted andprovides Paris with a talisman rarely, if ever, seen before at the Parc desPrinces.
PSG had the best defensive record in Ligue 1 prior toAncelotti's mid-season appointment, but they surprisingly struggled at the backfrom that point onwards. The responsibility will fall on Brazil captain ThiagoSilva, a player who has overcome injury and illness to become one of the game'smost assured defenders, to help solidify the back four along with compatriotAlex. As for Lavezzi, he combined with Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik to formthe "Three Tenors" at Napoli, a fearsome attacking trio thatplundered the third-most goals in Serie A.
Paired with the influx of stars at PSG, the departure of twokey players -- Olivier Giroud from defending champions Montpellier and Belgianstar Eden Hazard, the league's two-time Player of the Year, from 2011title-winners Lille -- leaves Ancelotti's side in prime position to end a 19-yearwait for a championship.
