PARIS (AP) — Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé scored titleholder Paris Saint-Germain's first goals of the new Champions League campaign, and his first goals the season, when he netted twice in the first half against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.
He also set up a goal for new signing Ferran Torres as PSG led 3-0 at the break.
It was a welcome return to form for Dembélé, one of France's World Cup stars with six goals, following a frustrating start to the domestic season.
He was taken off at halftime in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener after a lackluster performance against Rennes in a 2-2 draw, and was then left out of the next game against Lille by coach Luis Enrique. Dembélé was ineffective as a late second-half substitute in a 2-1 home loss to Monaco last Friday.
Dembélé put PSG ahead in the 17th minute against Slovan, reacting quickly after Nuno Mendes’ swerving shot hit the post and steering the rebound inside the right post.
He clipped a shot wide from just inside the left of the penalty area moments later, before heading in his second goal in the 23rd from 18-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez's right-wing cross.
Dembélé then set up Torres, who drifted in to meet his cross from the right for his third goal since joining from Barcelona, after scoring the winner in the World Cup final for Spain.
Dembélé dropped to his knees in frustration when he somehow hit the crossbar from close range as PSG sliced Slovan apart. Ten PSG players were nominated Tuesday on the shortlist of 30 for the Ballon d’Or, which Dembélé won for the first time last year.
Before facing Slovan at Parc des Princes, PSG had failed to win its previous four games, conceding seven goals and losing the French Super Cup to Lens.
As Bradley Barcola started in attack for new club Liverpool, his replacement Maghnes Akliouche took the field for PSG alongside Torres and Dembélé.
Another star of PSG’s Champions League-winning campaign last season, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, was on the bench, as Luis Enrique fine-tunes his attack following the departures of Barcola and striker Gonçalo Ramos to AC Milan.
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