Luis Enrique hails 'PlayStation' footballer Ousmane Dembele after stunning UEFA Champions League brace for PSG
Updated 11/02/2025 at 23:47 GMT
Luis Enrique believes Ousmane Dembele is playing like a PlayStation footballer after he scored twice against Brest in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off tie. Joe Cole also labelled Dembele as the "most in-form player in Europe." The Parisians already have one foot in the round of the 16 thanks to the Frenchman, who has scored an incredible 23 goals this season.
Dembele 'destroys' Brest again to grab PSG's third
Video credit: TNT Sports
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique waxed lyrical about Ousmane Dembele after the forward netted a brace in a 3-0 knockout round play-off first leg tie against Brest.
The Frenchman scored his 14th and 15th goals of 2025 as the Parisians beat Brest 3-0 on Tuesday, putting one foot in the last 16.
Vitinha opened the scoring at the Stade de Roudourou with a penalty in the 21st minute, and Dembele doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time with an unstoppable left-footed shot.
The 27-year-old scored his second of the night when he pounced on a loose ball falling into the Brest box and fired another shot past Marco Bizot.
Speaking after the match, Enrique told TNT Sports: "Ousmane is in a huge moment of confidence and he's now like the PlayStation [player] with the light above him! But as a whole team we try to defend and attack together, and we are happy with the performance.
"Since day one here in Paris I've said that I feel lucky to have this group of players and to keep working at a club like Paris."
Joe Cole also wasted no time in giving Dembele his flowers after the winger delivered yet another stellar performance.
Speaking after the game, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole marvelled at Dembele's performance, calling him the "most in-form player in Europe" at the moment.
"PSG, every criticism that we've labelled on them over the last four, five, six, seven years - opposite tonight," he said.
"Intense, professional, aggressive. I thought they were absolutely brilliant. Considering they limped into this part of the tournament, they looked so assured, they're riding high in the league again.
"And in Dembele, they've got probably the most in-form player, let alone winger, in European football. And when he's on form, with his attributes, he's unstoppable."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/02/11/4096746-83072573-2560-1440.jpg)
'Unstoppable' Dembele the most 'in-form' player in Europe
Video credit: TNT Sports
Cole had also picked out the former Barcelona player before the match, noting that in Paris he was finally beginning to warrant the vast amount of money spent on him during his career.
The Catalan giants shelled out £135.5 million for him from Dortmund in 2017, but injuries and inconsistency were driving factors behind his struggles in Spain.
Since leaving for Paris to play under former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, Dembele is delivering on the potential that was always clear to see.
"It’s a lot of money that clubs have spent on this man and he’s shown flashes of it," Cole said before PSG's win. "I do love him and admire him, he makes things happen. He’s a throwback, he gets the ball and he’s direct.
"I think he’s enjoying being the main man. He’s not been given that, he’s taken that in his group of players, and I think he’s really enjoying that."
It was only the second time that two French sides have faced off in the Champions League, but Brest will no doubt be sick of the sight of Dembele already after he terrorised Les Pirates just 10 days ago in Ligue 1, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 win for PSG.
The result leaves Brest with a mountain to climb in the second leg at the Parc de Princes, a place they have not won at since 1981.
PSG already have one eye on the next round and will be eager to banish the memories of their Galacticos sides floundering in the Champions League in previous seasons.
"They play with a level of confidence and control, but not with the level of arrogance that you would associate with PSG teams in the past," added Joleon Lescott.
"That could have been anything that game. Brest had a spell in the first half but overall they were completely in control of the tempo.
"When they wanted to attack, how they wanted to attack, the fluidity and interchanging of the forwards. It was a really professional performance from PSG."
Barring a capitulation of a cataclysmic level in the second leg, PSG will face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the next round.
Arne Slot's side topped the league phase of the competition and only a 3-2 loss to PSV on the final matchday thwarted them ending it unbeaten.
- - -
TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024-25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports and entertainment in one destination.
Thoughts?