Paris Saint-Germaine in the 2013-14 Season
Ligue 1 Finish: Champions
Match Results: W27-D8-L3
(Featured image: PSG | Source: BBC)
An almost-permanent feature in sports betting sites, Paris Saint-Germain finished the season at the top of the rankings—their second consecutive (and fourth overall) victory in the French top-flight football. The defending champions successfully retained their title following a massive achievement in in the majority of their fixtures, winning 27 times and drawing eight times in 38 appearances. They obtained a total of 89 points by the end of the season, nine points clear of their nearest rivals, Monaco. Aside from Ligue 1, Les Rouge-et-Bleu also competed in the Coupe de la Ligue, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League, and 2013 Trophée des Champions.
The summer transfer window was bombarded by a few high-profile signings, with the highlight being Edinson Cavani’s €64.5-million deal. Lucas Digne of Lille and Marquinhos of Roma also moved in, inking accords valued at €15 million and €31 million, respectively. On January, Yohan Cabaye joined the squad for a reported fee of €25 million. PSG also had a new coach and they played throughout the season with Laurent Blanc at the helm.
PSG entered the season a little low-profile, ranking only in the 11th spot on week 1 after drawing with Montpellier 1-1. They slid to the 12th place the following week when Ajaccio successfully held them in a deadlock. From week 3 onwards, however, Blanc’s men started raising their momentum. A victory over Nantes, a clean sheet against Guingamp, and a two-goal domination over Bordeaux cemented PSG’s way towards the top three. By the 10th match week, they have already claimed the top spot and have never left that place since—overthrowing previous table toppers such as Lyon, Marseille, and eventual runners up Monaco. Talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic also emerged as the season’s top scorer with 26 goals with Cavani—also from PSG—tariling behind (along with four other players from other squads).
In other competitions, the Parisians were winners of the Coupe de la Ligue and the Trophée des Champions. However, they only reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and the Round of 32 in Coupe de France.
