On Wednesday at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain secured a 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in the opening matchday of the 2026-2027 Champions League. Here are the ratings awarded by Le Parisien and L’Équipe to the capital club’s players (find our own ratings here).
Le Parisien:
L’Équipe:
Dembélé and Ferran Torres get Paris back on track
After four winless matches, PSG kicked off their Champions League campaign with a dominant display against Slovan Bratislava (6-1). Thirty-five shots, a five-goal margin, and a finally clinical attack: the evening provided the much-needed breath of fresh air. However, the opponent’s weakness calls for a level head, especially after conceding yet another goal.
Two leaders spearhead a goal-fest
L’Équipe rates Dembélé (9) ahead of Ferran Torres (8), while Le Parisien awards them both an 8.5. This split is justified: the Frenchman ran the show with two goals and two assists, while the Spaniard capped it off with a hat-trick—his first in the Champions League. One created and set up chances, the other finished them off. Two different ways to dominate a match.
Akliouche and Dro shake up the pecking order
Akliouche brought movement, pressing, and the incisive ball-carrying that set up the fourth goal. Dro Fernandez, making his first start, played without hesitation and was at the heart of the move leading to the second goal. Both publications praised their performances; they no longer look like mere backup options. Nuno Mendes forced the opening goal by smashing a shot against the post, while captain Hakimi rediscovered his attacking output.
Zabarnyi’s rating of 3 puts a damper on the euphoria
Both media outlets handed the Ukrainian defender the same low score. In the only instance where Paris truly had to defend in open space, Camara beat his marker before scoring. A single play doesn’t define a player, but it carries significant weight when facing such an unthreatening opponent. Their similar average ratings—6.00 and 6.36—tell the same story: the attack elevated the team’s overall performance without erasing that defensive crack.
Luis Enrique’s choices pay off
The rating of 8 awarded by L’Équipe acknowledges a successful rotation strategy: starting Doué, keeping Akliouche in the lineup, shifting Ferran Torres to a central role, and resting several key players as early as the 64th minute. While the quality of the opposition calls for some perspective, scoring six goals with a reshuffled starting XI validates his decisions.
