PSG Secures Vital Victory Against Lille with Dembele’s Brilliance

In a much-anticipated response to their unexpected 1-0 defeat against city rivals Paris FC in the Coupe de France round of 32, Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) delivered a morale-boosting victory over Bruno Genesio’s Lille.

The home crowd had star player Ousmane Dembele to thank as he broke the deadlock after just 13 minutes, finding the bottom corner with an impressive right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

Not satisfied with merely scoring one brilliant goal, the former Barcelona forward outdid himself by executing a remarkable individual effort, lobbing Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer shortly after the hour mark.

After receiving the ball during a fluid PSG attacking play, Dembele displayed remarkable composure by sidestepping two Lille defenders inside the penalty area instead of rushing a shot. Aware of an approaching third defender, he skillfully pulled the ball back with his left foot and then set himself up with a deft touch using his right foot. Noticing that Ozer was off his line, Dembele delicately lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net, igniting jubilation among the supporters at Parc des Princes.

With his impact already made, Dembele was substituted in the 76th minute as PSG stretched their lead further with a third goal from substitute Bradley Barcola, allowing Luis Enrique’s team to move two points clear of Lens in the standings.

Following his remarkable second goal against fourth-placed Lille, Dembele has emerged as a potential contender for the next Puskas award, which honors the most aesthetically pleasing goal of the calendar year. Recently, Independiente winger Santiago Montiel won the 2025 award for his effort against Independiente Rivadavia, narrowly edging out Declan Rice’s stunning free-kick for Arsenal against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Luis Enrique, who celebrated his 100th win as PSG head coach against Lille, described Dembele’s strike as a “PlayStation goal,” stating, “Only a player with Ousmane’s quality can do that. While many may consider Ousmane the best player, I believe we still need to witness his best defensive performance, as we require a player with a defensive mindset. He demonstrated such qualities last year, and this year, he needs to maintain that improvement.”

He added, “Today’s match presented challenges. Lille managed to evade our pressure with ease, which is uncommon as our pressing is typically effective. The first half was disappointing in terms of our defensive efforts, and we lacked precision and quality in our play. However, adjustments to our pressing strategy in the second half positively altered the game.

“We performed better in the second half, yet the final score does not accurately represent the disparity between Lille and Paris Saint-Germain in this match.”

Despite reclaiming the top position following their victory over Lille, PSG may find themselves back in second place should Pierre Sage’s Lens triumph over Auxerre at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday afternoon.

Looking ahead, PSG will face Portuguese giants Sporting CP in the Champions League, with the defending champions currently positioned third in the standings, aiming for automatic qualification to the last-16 phase.