PSG
PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé is finally finding his form in France
After a shaky start, the winger performed well in the game against Marseille, getting an assist for one of PSG’s four goals.
Understanding Ousmane Dembélé as a player has become, especially across the last two seasons, a puzzle that results in a conclusion filled with question marks. Despite being a talented, destructive player with an ability to dribble like few others, his output has not matched the hope he generates on the field of play. The Rennes youth player, however, has now enjoyed the full confidence of Deschamps in the national team, Xavi at Barcelona and now Luis Enrique in PSG.
His current club coach has given him a key role in the six games in which the French winger has played this season, repeatedly defending him against his lack of effectiveness in the final stretch of the pitch: “I am delighted with Dembélé. “He is a fantastic player,” Luis Enrique unequivocally declared several weeks ago. In his first five games, Dembélé did not score or assist, causing the French media to question the decision behind his signing.
Dembélé impressed against Marseille
The former Barcelona player responded last Sunday in the most important match of the season in France, PSG-Olympique de Marseille. With the injury to Kylian Mbappé, suffered during the game, Dembélé took on an important role in attack, forming a pair on the wing with Achraf that provided depth and verticality to the Parisian attack. In the second half, just after leaving the dressing room tunnel, he set up Gonçalo Ramos with his right foot, showing that his talent is still there, despite it not always being on show.
French newspaper L’Équipe, notorious for their harsh match ratings, gave his performance an impressive 7/10, clearing up any questions surrounding his performances at the start of the season. Dembélé, who signed for PSG for €50 million from Xavi’s Barcelona, has not finished adapting to Paris, despite the fact that in all the games his quality has shown at some point during the games. His typical ability to deceive with his dribbling, the finesse in each touch and the speed from a standing start have all dazzled Luis Enrique, who has not hesitated to instil in him a large percentage of responsibility in attack.
PSG fans in hot water for behaviour in the game against Marseille
The green shoots that appear around Ousmane Dembélé have contrasted in recent hours with a video that has circulated on social media after the 4-0 scoreline by which PSG defeated Olympique de Marseille last Sunday at the Parc des Princes. The players, as usual, went to the stand housing the ultras to celebrate the victory and Dembélé, along with Kolo Muani, Kurzawa and Achraf, insulted the Marseille team as they celebrated, something that is being investigated by the Disciplinary Commission of the league.
On Wednesday, the judicial body will analyse the images that came to light after the encounter to clarify the facts and, if the punishment is upheld, act accordingly. PSG, according to different media outlets, condemned the insults, but at this time they will not open an investigation into the matter. Dembélé's performance on the pitch, the thing that always concerns PSG the most, is finally taking off.
