Paris Saint-Germain secured a 4-2 victory over Manchester City this Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium, as part of the second matchday of the 2026-2027 Champions League league phase. Following this victory, Paris forward Ousmane Dembélé (29) spoke in the mixed zone.
Dembélé: “October or March—it’s a different story.”
A special match, with a strong first half followed by a more complete performance?
We started the match very well, scoring two quick-fire goals. We had a great first half. In the second half, we eased off a bit. City also played well and pushed hard; things got a little tougher. We’ll take the positives, because, overall, it was a good performance.
Was there an intention to send a message—and has that been achieved?
We’re taking it one match at a time. We know it’s a long season and that you have to handle Champions League fixtures carefully—especially matches like this one. We’re hoping to finish in the top eight. And as for the rest—well, October is a different story compared to March. We’re staying focused, game by game.
Dembélé: “Everything was clicking.”
Donnarumma teased you after the match against Italy; is it your turn now?
Yes, perhaps a little! But Donnarumma is a world-class goalkeeper. I was quite fortunate, as Désiré Doué played a fantastic ball to me.
How do you explain the shift in the match’s momentum?
Things changed a bit, and City also has world-class players capable of causing us problems. We’ll focus on the positives.
Is there a lot of enjoyment within your team?
Yes, we really enjoy ourselves when we play like this; everything just flowed. We created quite a few chances. I think it’s a joy for the supporters.
Dembélé: “We had to step up.”
Were you looking for a “benchmark” first-half performance like the one today?
We want to perform well in every match. This was a big away game against the Premier League leaders—we had to step up.
Has PSG “flipped a switch”? Are you starting to hit your stride?
Little by little—as I said, we’re still in the first half of the season. We need to stay on track and take it one match at a time, both to climb the table in Ligue 1 and to secure a spot in the top 8 of the Champions League.
Does pressure energize you?
Not really, no. We just take it one match at a time; we need to navigate this first part of the season successfully.
