PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have unlocked a cheat code after scoring two identical goals against Arsenal and Liverpool in the Champions League.
Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute opener handed the Parisians a 1-0 lead in their semi-final first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
The Gunners were caught cold by fast-starters PSG, effectively silencing the North London crowd.
It was a carbon copy of Dembele’s 12th minute strike at Anfield when French side knocked Liverpool out of the last-16 on penalties following a 1-0 win.
Both teams were undone by a move started and completed by Dembele early on, so it was déjà vu all over again.
On both occasions PSG moved the play to the left hand side of defence, to attract the press of both Premier League teams.
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Dembele, 27, twice arrived in an empty centre circle, before driving forward on the half-turn and spreading it wide.
Against Arsenal, PSG left-back Nuno Mendes found the Frenchman after he dropped deep behind Martin Odegaard.
Dembele initially had acres of space to run into, before finding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the left flank.
Kvaratskhelia then put Jurrien Timber on the back foot before finding Dembele unmarked, who finished past David Raya from the edge of the box.
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The balance of the midfield suffered without the suspended Thomas Partey, as Declan Rice was naively drawn wide to towards the ball to leave Dembele all alone.
PSG made 26 passes in the lead-up to Dembele’s 28th goal of 2025 and Arsenal were chasing shadows for the first 20 minutes after it.
But there were two small differences between the goals against Arsenal and Liverpool.
The first was that Dembele ran through the middle of the box to finish from close range after beating his compatriot Ibrahima Konate to the ball.
And he spread the ball out to Bradley Barcola on the right wing, instead of the left.
PSG have scored more goals in the first 15 minutes of games against Premier League clubs this season than Manchester United have, with Ruben Amorim’s side only notching one to their three.
The French champions also became the first side to beat four English teams in a single Champions League campaign.
Enrique’s side beat Manchester City 4-2 in the group stage before knocking Liverpool out on penalties and sending Aston Villa home in the quarter-finals.
They did lose 2-0 at the Emirates early on in the group stage, but Dembele was left out by his manager for a disciplinary issue for “not complying with or respecting the expectations of the team”.
That decision has clearly worked wonders as he has returned to the form that expected off him since signing for £42.8m from Barcelona in 2023.
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Dembele seems to be given total freedom of the pitch while starting as a false nine, scoring 33 goals and providing 11 assists this season.
Meanwhile, Barca take on Inter Milan in the other semi-final at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
