Paris Saint-Germain, and extra particularly Ousmane Dembele, have been in scintillating kind since mid-December with the France worldwide including his seventeenth and 18th targets from the previous 11 video games on Tuesday night away at Stade Brestois 29 within the UEFA Champions League. Dembele’s 2025 alone reads 15 targets after his masterclass at EA Guingamp’s Stade du Roudourou enabled Les Parisiens to take a significant choice on a UCL spherical of 16 berth with a cushty first leg knockout spherical playoff benefit constructed up.
The 27-year-old made key contributions within the fightback win at residence to Manchester Metropolis and the away triumph at VfB Stuttgart which have been each key to PSG even reaching this level within the first place as they made a scorching late sprint to swipe a seeded place within the league part. That’s now a minimal of two targets from every of his final 4 outings throughout all competitions and now 5 targets from his final two highway video games in opposition to Brest having scored three in Ligue 1 simply days after his heroics in Germany.
“I’m now positioned a bit extra in a No. 9 position — centrally,” mentioned Dembele postgame. “I’ve much less working to take action I’m now extra lucid in entrance of objective. Plus, I get pleasure from some very, excellent service. Some targets I merely push into the online after Bradley (Barcola) or Need (Doue) have achieved many of the work and I’m merely positioned nicely to complete.”
Trying again at how Dembele’s season has performed out to date, it’s tempting to assume that being disregarded by Luis Enrique for the 2-0 loss away at Arsenal was the turning level for the French titleholders, nevertheless it didn’t spark a right away response. As an alternative, the true wakeup name appeared to return along with his pink card for 2 bookable offences away at Bayern Munich in late November when issues regarded mightily bleak for Paris in Europe only a few weeks earlier than the Frenchman’s sizzling run of kind began with a objective in opposition to Olympique Lyonnais.
Dembele’s solely goalless outing since then throughout any competitors was the 1-1 draw away at RC Lens within the Coupe de France however PSG nonetheless gained that on penalties with the previous Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Stade Rennais man scoring from the spot when his flip got here. Luis Enrique lastly has the false 9 central attacking determine that he has been craving since his arrival at Parc des Princes and it’s clear that it was within the works even final season when PSG’s artistic power began shifting right into a extra central place near the No. 10 position.
“I’ve not remodeled something,” added the Spanish tactician postgame. “This can be a assured Ousmane however it’s also all the way down to his teammates — he scores so many targets due to the help from the others. He’s prolific proper now which is enjoyable for us however the work achieved by his teammates have to be highlighted. You have to ask him what he ate over Christmas — he was good in 2024 however he has been even higher in 2025. He’s at a wonderful stage which is ideal for us.”
Dembele’s absurd expertise has by no means been in query all through his profession so far, however his dedication to honing these ludicrous expertise and customarily dealing with himself like a prime participant and athlete has often been below the microscope. We are actually getting a glimpse of the Vernon-born genius’ true capabilities now that he’s targeted and devoted and viewing to date has been nothing wanting breathtaking with some sensational and various targets of late.
Early Ballon d’Or hype is comprehensible as we’re in a non-international yr and that Manchester Metropolis’s Erling Haaland and Actual Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham will already eradicate not less than certainly one of themselves earlier than the Champions League spherical of 16. Nonetheless, ought to Dembele’s latest uptick in kind proceed its sharp ascent and assist PSG previous both Liverpool or Barcelona within the spherical of 16 and onto the quarterfinals, the potential Ballon d’Or chatter won’t appear so wild and outrageous.
“It’s nice — we now have all been conscious of his qualities,” mentioned captain Marquinhos after making historical past in opposition to Brest along with his a centesimal look with PSG within the UCL. “He knew that he needed to proceed doing what he was doing to change into much more of a killer. It’s magnificent while you see Ousmane enjoying like that. He unlocks video games and will get us outcomes. He has discovered a place which permits him to spotlight his qualities. The coach is an admirer of Ousmane and so are we. When you’ve gotten this stage of confidence, you need to not let go of it.”
Dembouz has at all times been one thing of an unfulfilled expertise with momentary bursts of brilliance adopted by prolonged intervals spent off the boil and seemingly losing the pure items that he has been blessed with but refused to refine — till now. Coming of age and stepping out of Mbappe’s shadow with PSG but in addition Les Bleus may show to be the making of the ultimate model of Dembele and this version of the Champions League could possibly be the place he writes his defining chapter.
