Within the first twenty minutes of Tuesday’s Champions League showdown, PSG were compelled to make a surprise change after Dembele suffered a clear muscle strain.
During an 18th‑minute rush, the French winger twisted sharply to evade Barcelona’s back line, then clutched his left thigh and signaled he couldn’t continue.
Dembele was pulled off in the 19th minute, prompting Luis Enrique to summon former Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, who has struggled for minutes since arriving in Paris.
Can PSG sustain this momentum and advance past Barcelona?
Even without their star winger, PSG kept pressing, carving out several clear chances on target before finally breaking the deadlock before the break.
Dembele celebrates his PSG goal.
In the 38th minute, Desire Doue gathered the ball outside the box and unleashed a powerful strike past Garcia, proving PSG’s attack is deep beyond any single player.
Vitinha explains PSG’s plan to contain Barcelona and highlights Lamine Yamal’s impact in the Champions League tie.
As the injury’s severity remains unclear, Enrique is expected to act cautiously; in my view, his careful handling will keep Dembele fit for the knockout rounds.