Ousmane Dembele marked his return from injury with a goal as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 7–2 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, with both teams finishing the match with 10 men.
The Ballon d’Or winner came off the bench to score PSG’s sixth just three minutes after his introduction — his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in early September.
Desire Doue grabbed a brace, while Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha were also on target as the defending champions cruised to a dominant victory at Leverkusen’s BayArena.
PSG coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s mentality after the win. “We are a team that always wants to win everything. This season, we want to win everything again,” he said. “That will be difficult but we have the confidence we gained last year. We want this title again.”
Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia scored both goals for the hosts. PSG defender Illia Zabarnyi was sent off in the 37th minute after conceding a second penalty, while Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich also received a red card earlier for elbowing Doue.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand admitted his team “lost it in seven minutes before halftime,” saying, “We were level but we wanted too much. We were too open and made too many mistakes in that seven-minute period. We met the best team in the world right now. They’re very strong.”
PSG, despite injury setbacks this season, dominated once both sides were reduced to 10 men. The victory strengthens their push to defend the Champions League title they won last season.
PSG’s preparation had been boosted by the return of Dembele and captain Marquinhos, who both started on the bench. The visitors took an early lead in the seventh minute when Nuno Mendes’ cross found Pacho at the far post for a header.
Leverkusen missed a penalty in the 25th minute after Alejandro Grimaldo struck the post. Moments later, Andrich’s foul on Doue earned him a red card, but Leverkusen equalised from the spot after Zabarnyi brought down Christian Kofane, with Garcia converting.
PSG responded emphatically, scoring three times in eight minutes before halftime — a brace from Doue and a powerful strike from Kvaratskhelia put them 4–1 ahead. Mendes added another early in the second half before Garcia’s long-range effort reduced the deficit.
Dembele then scored from a tight angle before Vitinha sealed the emphatic win, capping a brilliant European night for the French champions.