Two games, two hat-tricks: Ousmane Dembélé cannot stop scoring for PSG

It’s all going to plan. It just took a little longer than expected and there were plenty of setbacks along the way. Ousmane Dembélé was considered a panicked ​b​uy when Barcelona ​signed him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 to replace Neymar. Given the deal made him the second most expensive footballer in history, he failed to live up to the hype.

After a disappointing time in Spain he returned home to France last summer, again taking Neymar’s place​, but this time at PSG. Dembélé had a disappointing first season ​in Paris, scoring just six goals in 40 appearances. But the 27-year-old is finally delivering on the promise he showed when he burst on to the scene with Rennes nearly a decade ago.

After scoring eight goals in January across all competitions – including a goal in every match he played – Dembélé was at it again on Saturday, hitting a hat-trick for the second match in a row as PSG beat Brest 5-2. He was only on the pitch for 67 minutes. Dembélé now has 19 goals for the season, including 14 in the league, which makes him the top scorer in Ligue 1 (just above Mason Greenwood).

His contribution off the bench in PSG’s win over Manchester City last week caught the eye, but he has been quietly excellent all year. He scored a late winner to power PSG past an awkward Monaco team in the Trophée des Champions at the beginning of January and he has not stopped scoring since.

He hit a brace in a 2-1 win over St-Étienne and another goal in a 1-1 draw against Reims before scoring a hat-trick against Stuttgart on Wednesday, giving him seven goals in as many days. Dembélé is the first player in the club’s history to record consecutive hat-tricks and​, even more impressively, he did it while recovering from being ill in recent weeks, to the point that he was unable to start against Manchester City.

Dembélé started up front with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola. Photograph: Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images

Dembélé has timed his ​form perfectly. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s £60m move from Napoli probably means that he, Bradley Barcola or Gonçalo Ramos will be dropped, with Luis Enrique unlikely to move away from playing a 4-3-3. Indeed, the manager stuck to his favoured formation on Saturday, playing Kvaratskhelia ​o​n the left, Barcola on the right and Dembélé through the middle, a role he has rarely occupied since leaving Rennes.

Dembélé adapted to the unfamiliar position brilliantly. He was not a target man (even if his aerial abilities are sometimes overlooked) or the tricky dribbler he’s sometimes made out to be (he failed to complete a dribble on Saturday) but he played as something of a poacher, letting instinct take over. He had no defensive responsibilities and kept things simple (only Barcola had fewer touches).

The goals flowed and he enjoyed the experience, saying after the match: “In the past I played more as a right winger stuck to the touchline and it was more difficult to score goals. I had to dribble past three or four players before being able to score. Playing as a No9, you have one player or more to give you the ball like today.”

He even earned praise from Luis Enrique, no small matter given their sometimes tricky relationship. “Ousmane is becoming the player he wants to be,” said the manager. “If he remains confident in front of goal, he has no equal. He can score in any position, even with his head.”

Dembélé is patently brimming with confidence at present, making him a must-watch player; no one has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues since the beginning of the year. Sterner tests will come, especially if PSG beat Brest in the Champions League playoff round, but, with Dembélé in this sort of form, perhaps this will be the year PSG finally win the Champions League.

Talking points

Mika Biereth scored a hat-trick for Monaco in their 4-2 win against Auxerre. Photograph: Valéry Hache/AFP/Getty Images

Dembélé wasn’t the only player to score a hat-trick this weekend — Danish striker Mika Biereth did the same for Monaco in their 4-2 win against Auxerre at the Stade Louis II. Monaco, who were in need of a confidence-boosting result after defeat to Inter midweek meant they dropped out of the top eight in the Champions League, found themselves 2-1 down at half-time and in danger of slipping down the Ligue 1 table. Biereth, an Arsenal academy product signed this month from Sturm Graz, came to the rescue. With a trio of incisive finishes, the forward took his side from a goal down to 4-2 up in just eight minutes. Monaco still have plenty of work to do to progress in Europe and once again finish in the top three but, with Biereth already flying, things are looking up.

After (unsurprisingly) parting ways with Jorge Sampaoli last week, Rennes replaced him with Habib Beye. Well known for his spells as a player at Marseille, Strasbourg and Newcastle, Beye moved into management four years ago, taking over at Red Star in Paris. After earning the club promotion to the second tier by playing attractive, progressive football, he let his contract run down in the summer in anticipation of a job becoming available in Ligue 1. It didn’t happen immediately, despite frequent links to numerous clubs, but he now has his wish. His first match – a somewhat fortuitous win against Strasbourg – was nothing to write home about, but Rennes appear to have made a savvy choice.

Finally, the Choc des Olympiques delivered once again. With both teams reinforced by new attacking players (Amine Gouiri for Marseille, Thiago Almada for Lyon – both featured off the bench), there was plenty of attacking intent on display. Paulo Fonseca made his debut on the Lyon bench, matching wits with Roberto De Zerbi in a thrilling encounter that the Italian’s side won 3-2, with Luis Henrique scoring the winner five minutes from time. The match was a fine illustration of the league’s quality. The defeat has dented Lyon’s hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. That is what Fonseca has been brought in to achieve and – judging by Sunday’s showing – he may have his work cut out.