Illia Zabarnyi headed Paris Saint-Germain to an 11th consecutive victory in all competitions on Saturday, the Ukrainian defender's 39th-minute goal enough to beat newly promoted Troyes 1-0 at the Parc des Princes.
It was not a vintage performance from the champions, but it was the kind of win that title-winning sides grind out. Luis Enrique fielded a weakened team, and Troyes — sitting in the bottom three — defended with discipline for long spells. In the end, one set piece was all it took.
The goal came from a quickly taken corner. Desire Doue whipped the ball in short, Senny Mayulu delivered the cross, and Zabarnyi rose highest to head home. It was the defender's second Ligue 1 goal of the season, and it settled a match PSG otherwise struggled to put away.
A patched-up PSG still find a way
The team sheet told the story of PSG's evening. Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos and Maghnes Akliouche were all out injured, while Achraf Hakimi was rested by Luis Enrique. The starting XI — Safonov in goal, Zabarnyi and Pacho at centre-back, Hernandez and Warren Zaire-Emery in defence, Vitinha, Ruiz and Mayulu in midfield, and Godts, Torres and Doue in attack — still carried enough quality, but it was a side missing its usual cutting edge.
Troyes made them work for it. The visitors' goalkeeper produced fine saves, including one to deny Ferran Torres from a tight angle, and the promoted side's back line held firm until the breakthrough. Even after Zabarnyi's header, PSG could not find a second, and the game stayed alive until the final whistle.
The visitors' problems in front of goal are stark: no team in Ligue 1 has scored fewer than their seven goals this season. They defended well in Paris, but they never looked like taking anything from the game.
The longest run of the Luis Enrique era
The victory extends PSG's winning streak to 11 matches in all competitions — the longest run of consecutive victories since Luis Enrique took charge in 2023. It is also a seventh straight league win, and it sends the champions into the international break three points clear of Paris FC at the top of the table.
The run has been built on both ends of the pitch. Days earlier, PSG hammered Villarreal 6-0 away in the Champions League; on Saturday they won ugly instead. The champions are finding different ways to win, and that is what makes this run feel more durable than a hot streak built on blowouts alone.
Zabarnyi was named man of the match, and deservedly so. As well as the winning goal, the Ukrainian was commanding at the back alongside Pacho, in a defence that has now kept the champions in control of games even when the attack is not at full strength, as Flashscore reported.
So what: the break comes at the right time for PSG
The international break gives Luis Enrique two weeks to get his injured stars back, and that is the real prize from this win. PSG go into the pause top of the league, unbeaten in 11, and with the chasing pack — led by surprise package Paris FC — still three points behind.
But the performance was also a warning. A weakened PSG laboured against a side in the bottom three, and had Zabarnyi not risen to meet Mayulu's cross, this could easily have been the night the streak ended. Depth is the question hanging over this squad: the first XI is the best in Europe, but the bench has to keep winning games when the stars are out.
After the break, PSG travel to Nice on 21 November, while Troyes host Le Havre the day before. The champions will expect their injured players back by then — and if they return to a side still winning, the rest of Ligue 1 has a problem.
Beyond the Final Whistle: An 11th straight win, and the least convincing one of the lot — that is exactly why it matters. Great teams do not only win when they are at their best; they win when half the first team is in the treatment room and the goal comes from a centre-back. Zabarnyi is becoming the face of this PSG side's resilience, and Luis Enrique's longest winning run is built on exactly this kind of night. Can anyone in Ligue 1 stop this run? Let us know in the comments.
