‘Difference-maker’ Dembele is praised profusely by PSG coach Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique, manager of Paris St. Germain, stated on Monday that he is not shocked by Ousmane Dembele’s recent performance and that the French striker has attributes that allow him to make a difference in games.

Last week, Dembele scored consecutive hat-tricks as he led PSG to a 5-2 Ligue 1 thumping of Brest and a 4-1 Champions League thumping of German Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart.

Since joining the Paris team from La Liga club Barcelona in August 2023 for an estimated sum of about 50 million euros ($51.35 million), the 27-year-old France international has scored 25 goals and given 19 assists in 68 games.

“Dembele? Before Tuesday’s French Cup match against third-tier Le Mans, Luis Enrique told reporters, “A different player.” “Regardless of position, Ousmane has always been a unique player.

“He can score goals, make clutch passes, and dribble past two or three opponents. We’ve always had the same goal with him. He is a player who has an impact.

“You have to be ready for circumstances like that if you want to play for PSG. We view soccer as a team sport because of this, and it’s simpler to get along with everyone on the squad.”

Regarding injuries, Luis Enrique stated that Joao Neves, a 20-year-old Portuguese defensive midfielder, was not a major concern despite taking a hit to the right foot against Stuttgart.

“He doesn’t have any serious ailments; the schedule and the pressure of the games have merely made him a little more cautious. “All we need to do is manage the workload,” the Spaniard stated.

With the Ligue 1 transfer market closing later on Monday, the former Barcelona manager also expressed his satisfaction with the caliber of his team.

After 20 games, PSG leads the French premier division by 10 points over Olympique de Marseille, which is in second place.

“I remain content. You may sometimes feel that there isn’t enough space for everyone, but Luis Enrique stated, “We’ve improved the squad since last season and we’ve achieved something that is vital, essential, namely competition.”