PSG ‘able to achieve anything’ with stars back from injury
PARIS — João Neves and Ousmane Dembélé made their return from injury to assist Paris Saint-Germain in defeating Chelsea 5-2 in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday.
The duo collaborated to create the opening goal after 10 minutes, and Dembélé netted a stunning solo goal just before halftime, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia coming off the bench to seal the victory with two remarkable strikes.
The third goal resulted from a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen, who inadvertently passed the ball directly to PSG forward Bradley Barcola. Barcola then set up substitute Kvaratskhelia, who passed to Vitinha, allowing him to delicately lob the ball over Jørgensen.
Kvaratskhelia scored two late goals, enabling PSG to take a significant advantage into the second leg next Tuesday at Stamford Bridge in London.
“We demonstrated our potential. We must continue in this manner,” Kvaratskhelia stated. “We conceded goals, but we need to review the errors we made.”
This match was a rematch of last summer’s Club World Cup final, where Chelsea triumphed over PSG 3-0 in their last encounter.
Dembélé’s pace and sharp decision-making on his goal indicated that the Ballon d’Or winner is regaining his form in a season plagued by injuries.
He received a pass near the halfway line, accelerated past defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, and then struck a low shot across Jørgensen into the bottom left corner.
“He performed very well, playing as Ousmane Dembélé is capable of, which is excellent news for us,” PSG coach Luis Enrique remarked. “We anticipate him replicating this performance in London next week.”
Dembélé was substituted midway through the second half, but it seemed to be a precautionary decision rather than a recurrence of injury.
“When a player returns, it is essential to manage their playing time appropriately,” Luis Enrique noted.
For the opening goal, Dembélé’s cross from the right was headed down by Neves, allowing Barcola to score from within the penalty area.
Dembélé struck the crossbar shortly after with a powerful shot. He was substituted midway through the second half.
Neves had been dealing with an ankle injury since PSG progressed past Monaco in the Champions League playoffs last month.
Dembélé recovered from a calf injury and had previously come on as a second-half substitute in Friday’s 3-1 home loss to Monaco in Ligue 1.
Their return enabled PSG coach Luis Enrique to field a nearly full-strength lineup, although midfielder Fabián Ruiz remained out due to a left knee injury.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
