Dembélé puts on show as PSG cruise past Lille in comfortable win

Ousmane Dembélé’s season now feels as though it’s truly underway after his stellar performance in PSG's 3-0 home win over Lille. The Frenchman has had some injury troubles since winning the Ballon D’or back in September, but it feels as though he has now truly worked over these issues – and with five goals in his last four starts, there is no doubt that his goalscoring form is back. Even better news for PSG: last season Dembélé only really kicked into gear around this point: if this is to be a repeat, it could be a very good sign for the Parisians.

Dembélé delivered an outstanding performance as Paris ease past Lille

Both of Dembélé’s goals last night were sumptuous, instinctive, the sort of goal that the Frenchman has added to his game over the last twelve months. The first, in which he picked up a pass twenty-five yards from goal before powerfully slotting the ball into the bottom corner, was a fine example of the way in which Dembélé is able to create goals out of very little.

The second, where he delicately weighed a chip over Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer’s head, was perhaps even more impressive: the sort of goal reserved to the very best players in the world – a category that Dembélé undoubtedly now finds himself among.

Dembélé, speaking after the game, explained that his glorious second goal came because of a poor first touch that forced him on to his left foot, and admitted that the goal was right up there among his career finest. He also will have encouraged PSG fans by stating that after a first half of the season in which he felt ‘hampered by injuries’, he now feels like he is a ‘hundred percent ready for the second part of the season’. PSG fans will hope that their star number ten manages to recreate his exceptional form from the back half of last season and that he can lead PSG to a second successive European crown.

The game overall wasn’t as smooth as the scoreline suggests, with Olivier Giroud twice coming close to giving Lille the lead before the home side had even properly kicked into gear. But by the time Dembélé had rattled his first into the net, it felt as though the result was only ever going one way, and indeed, the Parisians dominate statistically, recording more shots, more shots on targets and more corners.

The game was sealed late on by the substitute Bradley Barcola, who seized upon a loose ball played across the Lille backline and finished confidently past Lille’s Turkish shot stopper. The result, a definite return to form following Monday’s abject cup defeat to local rival Paris FC, sees PSG return temporarily at least to the top of the Ligue 1 table, now 10 points clear of Marseille, although a Lens win this weekend would see them overtake the Parisians once more.

PSG now look ahead to Tuesday night’s Champions League trip to Portugal where they will encounter Sporting, before then travelling to Auxerre next weekend in Ligue 1. Victories in both game are preferable if PSG want to compete across both remaining fronts this season.