Dembele and Doue Strike Again as PSG Extend Winning Run to Six Ahead of Barcelona Showdown
AM730 · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
Paris Saint-Germain clinched their sixth consecutive victory with a thrilling 3-1 comeback win away at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Saturday, October 17. Ousmane Dembele emerged as the hero after coming on as a substitute, first missing a penalty before setting up an equaliser and then scoring himself to complete the turnaround. Fellow substitute Desire Doue also found the net in stoppage time. The result leaves PSG in fine fettle ahead of Wednesday's highly anticipated Champions League encounter at home against Barcelona, with the Parisian club seeking to prove their credentials for a potential third consecutive continental crown.
Key Points
- PSG coach Luis Enrique executed significant rotation, leaving Dembele, Doue, and several other key players on the bench for the Strasbourg match
- Strasbourg took an early lead through Giovanni Reina in the 17th minute, capitalising on PSG's experimental lineup
- Despite dominating possession with 75 percent and creating seven shots, PSG entered halftime trailing before their substitutes turned the tide
- Dembele has been directly involved in 10 goals across nine appearances this season, including four goals and six assists
- Barcelona arrive in Paris on the back of an extraordinary 11-game winning streak to start the season, netting a remarkable 48 goals in all competitions
- Lamine Yamal has been in sensational form, contributing 24 goal involvements in just 15 games this campaign
- Raphinha has recovered from a muscle injury sustained on international duty and is available for the clash, having already scored 14 goals this term
- PSG have won both of their Champions League group stage matches so far, defeating Slovan Bratislava 6-2 at home and Manchester City 4-2 away
- Barcelona's Champions League campaign has been equally impressive, scoring nine goals across their opening two matches
- The two clubs have a rich history of producing entertaining encounters, with both teams scoring in each of their last six meetings
Why It Matters
This fixture represents arguably the most glamorous tie of the Champions League's new league phase format, bringing together two of European football's most storied clubs at the peak of their powers. For PSG, victory would send a clear message to their rivals that their ambitions of achieving a historic third consecutive Champions League title are genuine, while Barcelona under Hansi Flick have rediscovered their attacking identity and represent a genuine threat to any defence. The match also offers Dembele a chance to haunt his former employers, having scored in each of his last two Champions League appearances against Barcelona during his time at PSG.
This fixture represents arguably the most glamorous tie of the Champions League's new league phase format, bringing together two of European football's most storied clubs at the peak of their powers. For PSG, victory would send a clear message to their rivals that their ambitions of achieving a historic third consecutive Champions League title are genuine, while Barcelona under Hansi Flick have rediscovered their attacking identity and represent a genuine threat to any defence. The match also offers Dembele a chance to haunt his former employers, having scored in each of his last two Champions League appearances against Barcelona during his time at PSG.