By the winter break, Barcola had scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 16 Ligue 1 matches. PSG's star performer in the league - he was voted player of the month in September - struggled in the Champions League though, proving much less effective.
That being said, Luis Enrique's entire team lacked goals in the first six games of the league phase. Barcola was not singled out in particular, especially as he was his team's key player during that period.
That role has now been brilliantly taken over by Dembele, and it has allowed him to shine.
"I try to balance what's going on outside the team context. I'm ambitious by nature. At the start of the season, you wanted to put Barcola in another galaxy. I'm trying to calm things down," said Luis Enrique in a press conference ahead of the visit of Brest.
In the eyes of observers, the 22-year-old winger has now passed an important milestone in his development, and from now on, everyone knows that PSG can definitely put their trust in Barcola for the medium and long-term.
But before we look ahead to the second half of the season, let's go back to the origins of the phenomenon, when he first emerged at his formative club, Olympique Lyonnais.
A talent spotted early on
After arriving at their training centre in 2010 at the age of eight, the Franco-Togolese did all his schooling just a few kilometres from his family home. In this healthy environment, Barcola was able to develop at his own pace before making his professional debut in November 2021 in a match against Sparta Prague. He provided an assist for Karl Toko-Ekambi in injury time.
In March 2023, Flashscore France sketched an initial portrait of the winger. At the time, he was on the verge of exploding into the public eye, with more and more playing time accompanied by goals and assists.
And just a few months later, Barcola signed for Paris Saint-Germain with the tag of a great player in the making who could bring a certain dynamism to the team's play. The 2023-2024 season confirmed his status as one of the most promising French talents of his generation.
With his dribbling skills, speed and a certain psychological maturity, Barcola has since made huge strides forward. Mainly in the final third, but tactically he has shown a great deal of intelligence under Luis Enrique over the last few months too. It's a logical progression given his commitment and his fine personality, we're told internally.
Last summer, he naturally took on the role of attacking leader on the left wing, following the departure of Kylian Mbappe. Despite the presence of Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and Marco Asensio - the latter two have since left for Juventus and Aston Villa respectively - it was he who put PSG on the right track in Ligue 1. Above all, his finishing was remarkable, proving that he was capable of leading his team to victory.
Not everything has been perfect, but the progress has been linear, and although he is now overshadowed by Dembele, Barcola is nonetheless on the up.
A new role for 2025
Relations in the dressing room have always been good since his arrival, but now that Dembele has taken over the reins as top dog, it's interesting to see how things stand at PSG, where everyone has been smiling since the start of the winter.
On the pitch, the former Lyon man may even have become more effective. Admittedly, it's not all down to him, as Luis Enrique's side have been firing on all cylinders, but statistically, his form is very solid.
Over the last 12 matches in all competitions, Barcola has scored five goals and provided six assists, a ratio that is quite simply excellent.
What's more, when you look at the details, his goals have played a part in his team's success.
In the Coupe de France, he restored the lead to secure progression against Espaly. In the Champions League, he gave Paris hope of victory against Manchester City by equalising on the hour mark. The following week, at Stuttgart, he put PSG on the right track by finding the back of the net after six minutes.
And, what is important to emphasise is Barcola's ability to provide for his teammates. Therein lies the difference, as he could be more of a creator until the end of the season now.
Although it is Dembele who has moved up a gear, he needs his teammates to put him in the best possible position, and Barcola knows how to do that.
It is difficult to know what the process was that led to the slight change that saw Barcola become a playmaker. Internally, we are told Luis Enrique's players take particular pleasure in playing with each other now, and it shows. With Dembele up front and Barcola on the flanks with newcomer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, PSG seem to have found their attacking balance. It's been a long time since the team have looked so good.
However, the hardest part is yet to come. Will the team be able to maintain this level of performance? Luis Enrique did not want to make any predictions at this week's press conference, it is normal to wonder about the sustainability of the Parisians' performances.
On an individual basis, Barcola will certainly have the chance to continue to express himself and make his mark on the pitch match after match, especially given the potentially hellish fixture list.
In the Champions League, PSG's left winger will get the chance to test himself for good as there will be a clash against Liverpool, while a trip to Lyon is next up. He didn't score at his old stadium last season, but now could be his time.