Luis Enrique and PSG's penalty problem: "We lack a specialist"

Luis Enrique is not hiding a weakness that is starting to feel uncomfortable at Paris Saint-Germain. After the 1-3 victory away to Strasbourg, the Spanish coach openly admitted that his squad lacks a reliable penalty taker. The confession carries extra weight coming from a team that won its latest Champions League title from the spot, in a final decided against Arsenal.

Luis Enrique's honest admission after Strasbourg - PSG

The Parisian coach spoke clearly in the press room at Stade de la Meinau. His assessment was not linked to a defeat or a crisis of results, but to a pattern that has repeated itself in recent weeks: different players have stepped up to take penalties and none of them has converted with any consistency.

It is true, we lack a penalty specialist. We have many players who know how to take penalties, but we are missing that one player. With Vitinha, Ousmane and others, there are many players who can take penalties.

PSG's recent misses from the penalty spot

The latest miss belonged to Ousmane Dembélé against Strasbourg, shortly after he came off the bench. It was not an isolated case. On Champions League duty, Ferran Torres also failed to convert against Manchester City in the match that ended 2-4 in Paris Saint-Germain's favor. Days earlier, Désiré Doué had missed against Le Mans in the French Cup, although Lucas Beraldo did score his penalty in that same game.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia joins that list after missing for Georgia in the recent defeat against Northern Ireland. The Georgian winger has not been able to break the bad run of PSG players when they step up to face the goalkeeper from twelve yards.

A statistic that is not punishing PSG's results

Despite the misses, Paris Saint-Germain has gone on to win all three matches in which its players failed from the spot. Luis Enrique put that into perspective and explained that it is a difficult statistic to judge. He also noted that in every final his team has played, he has had quality penalty takers, which softens the concern about the lack of a true specialist.

• Ousmane Dembélé missed against Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
• Ferran Torres failed to convert against Manchester City in the Champions League.
• Désiré Doué missed against Le Mans in the French Cup.
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia failed for Georgia against Northern Ireland.
• PSG won all three matches despite the missed penalties.

Who should be PSG's first-choice penalty taker?

The question of who should assume that responsibility in decisive moments remains open. Luis Enrique mentioned Vitinha and Ousmane Dembélé as valid options, while admitting there is still no undisputed owner of the ball when the referee points to the spot. The coach believes several profiles in the squad can take on the challenge depending on the moment and the match.

The memory of the Champions League final against Arsenal

The paradox becomes complete when looking back. In the final that gave PSG its latest Champions League title, the Parisian side resolved the shootout with near-perfect accuracy. Gonçalo Ramos, now at Milan, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Beraldo all scored, while Nuno Mendes was the only player to miss his spot kick. That day, penalties were not a problem.

The demands of a long season for PSG

With Ligue 1 under control and the ambition focused on retaining the European title, PSG cannot afford for penalties to become a structural weakness. Luis Enrique knows it and prefers to address the issue naturally, without dramatizing the recent misses. The squad has talent and options, but finding a reliable taker could make the difference in the knockout rounds.

The final stretch of the season will test that unfinished business. If PSG reaches a penalty shootout at a decisive moment, the choice of taker will be one of the most talked-about decisions of the year at the Parc des Princes.