PSG sweep Brest 3-1 as Dembele shines ahead of Champions League clash against Girona

Paris Saint-Germain hosted Stade Brestois at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, 14th September, for MD4 of the 2024/25 Ligue 1 McDonald's season. The Parisians returned from the international break with the aim of extending their winning and goal-scoring streak in the French championship, ahead of their debut in the new edition and format of the UEFA Champions League.

Luis Enrique went with a fairly 'traditional' line-up, so to speak, as he selected a formation quite similar to the ones seen in the first three matches, with the exception that both Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery were absent after picking up injuries while on international duty during the recent break.

PSG's starting XI against Brest was as follows: Donnarumma - Hakimi, Skriniar, Beraldo, Nuno - Lee, Neves, Fabian - Dembele, Asensio, Barcola.

PSG sweep Brest 3-1 as Dembele shines ahead of Champions League clash against Girona

PSG played with extremely high intensity, dominating Brest in practically all statistical parameters, or at least the most important ones. However, the match was far from easy for the capital side. Romain Del Castillo was the first to score for the Breton team, converting a penalty in the 29th minute after Nuno Mendes conceded the foul that led to the spot-kick.

After a couple of close attempts, Ousmane Dembele finally found the back of the net with a header to level the score. The 'mosquito' struck again in the 74th minute, capitalising on a rebound from Randal Kolo Muani to secure his brace. Before that, Fabian Ruiz had scored a stunning goal, reminding everyone of the form he showed during Euro 2024.

Let's also review PSG's substitutions during the match. In the 63rd minute, Desire Doure and Willian Pacho came on, replacing Bradley Barcola and Nuno Mendes. Randal Kolo Muani entered the field in the 71st minute for Marco Asensio, and in the 80th minute, Senny Mayulu and Ibrahim Mbaye replaced Joao Neves and the star of the night, Ousmane Dembele.

PSG emerged victorious with a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes, just ahead of their Champions League league stage opener against Girona. With this result, Luis Enrique's side extended their winning streak to four victories in four matches, racking up 16 goals in the process. Not bad, not bad...