Ousmane Dembélé joked he might ask coach Luis Enrique for more time off after starring in Paris Saint-Germain's 4-2 win at Manchester City in the Champions League. The Ballon d'Or winner scored one goal and assisted another in Wednesday's game. Luis Enrique had rested him after the recent international break, allowing Dembélé to sit out Saturday's home game against Le Mans, and he looked razor-sharp against City.
"After the international break I went on holiday. Actually, I might ask for more holidays," Dembélé told Canal Plus. "I really enjoy playing on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially when I come back from holiday. It's a real pleasure." Asked if he would go on holiday again, he smiled and added: "It's possible, until March I think. It's the coach who decides."
PSG travel to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Saturday, ahead of a high-profile Champions League clash at home to Lamine Yamal's Barcelona next Tuesday. Luis Enrique may again rest players. City coach Enzo Maresca said PSG enjoy a luxury his team doesn't have, being able to rotate players against modest Ligue 1 sides.
Dembélé has scored three Champions League goals but has not yet found the net in four Ligue 1 matches this season. PSG are sixth in the table after six rounds. "We couldn't care less that people doubted us," he said. "We just need to stay on track during the first half of the season." He acknowledged that PSG eased up in the second half against City: "When you do that against players like that, you pay for it."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing