Dembélé’s goals are drying up for PSG at the wrong moment with Arsenal looming

By: Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press Posted: 12:37 AM CDT Thursday, Apr. 24, 2025

PARIS (AP) — Ousmane Dembélé’s goals are drying up for Paris Saint-Germain at just the wrong moment.

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PARIS (AP) — Ousmane Dembélé’s goals are drying up for Paris Saint-Germain at just the wrong moment.

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PARIS (AP) — Ousmane Dembélé’s goals are drying up for Paris Saint-Germain at just the wrong moment.

PSG has a Champions League semifinal coming up against an Arsenal team brimming with confidence after eliminating 15-time champion Real Madrid in fine style.

Dembélé hasn’t scored in the past three Ligue 1 games for French champion PSG and has netted only once in the past five Champions League matches. His last goal in either competition was in mid-March.

PSG's Ousmane Dembele, left, makes an attempt to score during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Although Dembélé did score twice in the French Cup semifinal, that was against second-tier Dunkerque and he hasn’t looked at his sharpest in recent weeks.

It’s a far cry from earlier in the season, when he netted two straight Ligue 1 hat tricks and scored in 10 straight games to establish himself as the team’s leading player following Kylian Mbappé’s offseason departure to Real Madrid.

France’s soccer media has been speculating about Dembélé’s mood since the return leg of the quarterfinal against Aston Villa.

PSG lost 3-2 after succumbing to a second-half onslaught from the English team but advanced 5-4 on aggregate. Dembélé appeared to reproach some of his teammates for easing up after leading 2-0 in the return leg to move 5-1 up overall, and there was reportedly little celebrating in the dressing room after the game.

PSG coach Luis Enrique must decide whether to start Dembélé in Friday’s home game against Nice, in the hope he rediscovers his scoring touch, or keep him rested for Tuesday’s encounter with Arsenal.

He may need the lightning-fast Dembélé at his skillful best against a side that limited Madrid’s star-studded attack to one goal in a two-game quarterfinal series and kept Mbappé quiet.

Nice ambition

While PSG is aiming to win the Champions League for the first time, Nice is bidding to qualify for next season’s competition.

Coach Franck Haise’s fifth-place team is inconsistent but remains a candidate to finish in the top three and secure an automatic place. The team in fourth place enters Champions League qualifying.

Heading into this weekend’s games, Nice was two points behind Lille in fourth; three behind Monaco in third spot, and four adrift of second-place Marseille.

Nice has extra incentive to beat PSG because Lyon and Strasbourg are just behind on goal difference.

Scoring race

Dembélé’s mini-slump allowed Marseille forward Mason Greenwood to close the gap in the race to finish as Ligue 1’s top scorer.

Dembélé leads with 21, while Greenwood has 18.

Jonathan David follows on 16 in what is expected to be his last season with Lille before joining a leading European team in the summer. The Canada striker has scored 109 goals in 228 games since joining Lille five years ago.

Marseille hosts mid-table Brest at Stade Velodrome, and Lille travels to Angers — both on Sunday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer