Dembélé roars back to form with 2 goals and 2 assists in 6-1 rout of Slovan in Champions League

PARIS (AP) — Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé scored titleholder Paris Saint-Germain’s first goals of the new Champions League campaign, and his first goals the season, when he netted twice in a 6-1 home win against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.

He also set up a goal in each half for new signing Ferran Torres, whose well-taken hat trick took Spain’s World-Cup winning forward onto five goals since joining from Barcelona in the offseason.

It was a welcome return to form for Dembélé, one of France’s World Cup stars with six goals, following a frustrating start to the domestic season.

He was taken off at halftime in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener after a lackluster performance against Rennes in a 2-2 draw, and was then left out of the next game against Lille by coach Luis Enrique. Dembélé was ineffective as a late second-half substitute in a 2-1 home loss to Monaco last Friday.

“We’re happy and I’m also happy with my performance,” Dembélé said. “After quite a difficult start where I haven’t played much. I’m happy today, to have 60 minutes in my legs.”

Dembélé didn’t get much rest in the offseason as France reached the World Cup semifinals, losing to Spain on July 14.

“I needed to come back physically too,” he said. “Because after the World Cup I didn’t have much holiday.”

Dembélé put PSG ahead in the 17th minute against Slovan, reacting quickly after Nuno Mendes’ swerving shot hit the post and steering the rebound inside the right post.

He clipped a shot wide from just inside the left of the penalty area moments later, before heading in his second goal in the 23rd from 18-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez’s right-wing cross.

“It’s the Ousmane we know, who we have had the last three years,” Luis Enrique said. “When you see his ability to create, his ability to press.”

Slovan coach Yaya Touré also praised Dembélé’s performance.

“Today he was at 200 percent and he really hurt us today, he is a superb player,” Touré said. “I can’t put three or four players on him otherwise there will be space everywhere.”

Dembélé then set up Torres, who drifted in to meet his cross.

Moments later, Dembélé dropped to his knees in frustration when he somehow hit the crossbar from close range as PSG sliced Slovan apart. Ten PSG players were nominated Tuesday on the shortlist of 30 for the Ballon d’Or, which Dembélé won for the first time last year.

Before facing Slovan at Parc des Princes, PSG had failed to win its previous four games, conceding seven goals and losing the French Super Cup to Lens.

“We also needed to win this match because we started the season badly,” Dembélé said.

One-sided affair

In a far easier contest, PSG took advantage of weak opposition to muster 35 shots on goal and 13 on target.

Torres showed delightful skill for his second goal moments after the break, taking a deft touch to control Maghnes Akliouche’s pass before curling the ball in from the edge of the area.

Akliouche created the goal with a jinking run from deep, the type he produced for Monaco against PSG last season. Torres guided in Dembele’s corner from the right for his hat trick in the 57th before Suleiman Camara replied for Slovan moments later with a fine finish.

Camara’s performance was a rare positive for an overwhelmed Slovan side, whose sloppy defending gifted Fabián Ruiz the ball for the sixth goal late on.

Touré said his team learn valuable lessons from the defeat.

“The level of PSG is incredible,” Touré said. “My players really learned today what the highest level is. The margin of difference is enormous.”

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As Bradley Barcola started in attack for new club Liverpool, his replacement Akliouche took the field for PSG alongside Torres and Dembélé.

Luis Enrique praised Akliouche’s two-way play.

“We’ve been watching him for more than one year, we thought we had everything to play for our club. He is one of the players who had adapted most quickly to what we want,” he said. “He has a lot of ability on the ball, comes back to defend and also makes great runs.”

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