Paris Saint-Germain’s forward, Ousmane Dembele, urged his team to maintain their momentum following their 7-2 Champions League triumph over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Defending champions PSG, victorious in their first three matches of the season, scored six of their seven goals despite being down to 10 men after Illia Zabarnyi received a red card late in the first half.
Desire Doue, who excelled in the Champions League final win over Inter Milan in May, enjoyed his return to Germany by netting twice before halftime.
Ballon d’Or recipient Dembele, initially on the bench due to fitness, found the net just three minutes after entering the field in the second half.
Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha also scored, marking a commanding victory for the French side.
In his first match since winning the Ballon d’Or, Dembele remarked that his team “could have avoided the red card,” but “remained focused and scored crucial goals before halftime.”
“We just had to continue in the second half. Scoring seven is significant; we need to maintain this form.”
“It’s just the first half of the season; staying focused in Europe and the league is essential.”
Dembele, 28, admitted he was “not at full fitness yet” and had hoped to return to league play last weekend, but “the coach advised more rest.”
“I’m gradually regaining my form.”
Georgia’s Kvaratskhelia scored right before the break in Germany.
“It feels great,” he shared with Amazon Prime.
“Scoring seven is satisfying, but we know there are areas to improve, and we’ll work on that.”
“We’re pleased with today’s win. Scoring seven against Leverkusen isn’t easy, but we did it.
“It was our day,” he concluded.
