Kylian Mbappe's showing against Rennes was one one his best of the season. Mbappe pulled the defence this way and that at his will throughout, darting swiftly between defenders and scampering into the channels that he thrives in. It was almost perfect, that is, until he got in front of goal.
Mbappe took eight shots that night. Two went narrowly wide. Three stung the palms of Steven Mandanda. Another was blasted over from close range. The others came nowhere near. And for the fourth-straight game for Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe was left scoreless.
It is worth noting that we are not in crisis territory. The fact that such a drought — if it can be called that — has caused some alarm, is more indicative of Mbappe's relentless consistency than a serious problem. This is the longest he's gone without a goal for PSG in fiveyears. For pretty much anyone else, going four games without scoring goes unnoticed.
Instead, the issue is more minute. Indeed, this is a player slightly off-kilter for his club, lacking the signature cutting edge that has seen him win five straight Ligue 1 Golden Boots, and made him PSG's All-Time top goalscorer at just 24.
But that doesn't mean Luis Enrique doesn't have a problem, either. As an Mbappe-less PSG showed in their first two fixtures of the season — both draws — they are not the same side when the forward isn't involved. So, the challenge becomes an exercise in tactical adjustment. How do PSG get the best out of Mbappe? Who needs to play around him — and in what system — to make this all work again? GOAL takes a look at the Parisians' best options.