Paris Saint-Germain returned to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, crushing Bayer Leverkusen 7-2 at the BayArena, with Ousmane Dembele marking his comeback from injury with a goal.
The Ballon d’Or winner struck PSG’s sixth goal just three minutes after coming off the bench in his first appearance since a hamstring injury sustained in early September. Desire Doue scored a brace, while Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha also found the net as the French champions dominated the Bundesliga side.
“We are a team that always wants to win everything. This season, we aim to repeat our success,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It will be difficult, but we are confident after last season’s achievements.”
Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia scored both of the hosts’ goals, but PSG’s centre-back Illia Zabarnyi was sent off in the 37th minute after conceding a second penalty. Leverkusen also lost captain Robert Andrich to a red card earlier in the first half for an elbow on Doue.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand admitted his side “lost it in seven minutes before halftime” and described PSG as “the best team in the world right now.”
The match began brightly for PSG, with Nuno Mendes’ cross met by Pacho to open the scoring after just seven minutes. Leverkusen had a chance to equalise through a Zabarnyi handball penalty, but Alejandro Grimaldo’s spot-kick hit the post.
Following the red cards, PSG capitalised with three goals in eight minutes before the break, including Doue’s brace and Kvaratskhelia’s stunning effort. Mendes added another early in the second half, while Dembele and Vitinha sealed the emphatic victory.
The result sends a strong message from the French champions, who, despite injury setbacks and inconsistent form this season, remain among Europe’s elite.
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