Paris Saint-Germain took a commanding step towards the Champions League Round of 16 with a 3-0 victory over Brest in the playoff first leg at Roudourou Stadium.
Vitinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot (21’), before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead just before halftime (45’) and completed his brace in the second half (66’). Despite a few scares, including a post struck by Sima, PSG largely controlled the game and are now on the brink of qualification.
Player Ratings from the French Press
Le Parisien Ratings
⭐ Dembélé (8.5) – The standout performer with two goals.
- Barcola (6) – Dembélé (8.5) – Doué (6)
- Ruiz (5) – Vitinha (7.5) – Neves (7)
- Nuno Mendes (5) – Pacho (6) – Marquinhos (7) – Hakimi (5.5)
- Donnarumma (6)
L’Équipe Ratings
⭐ Luis Enrique (7) – Praised for his tactical approach.
- Barcola (6) – Dembélé (8) – Doué (6)
- Ruiz (7) – Vitinha (7) – Neves (6)
- Nuno Mendes (5) – Pacho (5) – Marquinhos (6) – Hakimi (6)
- Donnarumma (6)
Takeaways
- Dembélé was unanimously the best player on the pitch, earning top ratings for his decisive performance.
- Vitinha also impressed, particularly with his composed penalty.
- The PSG defense was solid but not flawless, with Marquinhos receiving the highest praise.
- Luis Enrique’s tactical decisions were well received, with L’Équipe giving him a 7/10.
With a three-goal cushion, PSG is in a strong position for the return leg, but Brest will need a miracle to turn things around.
