In-form Dembele hits hat-trick again as PSG thump Brest

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Stade Francis-Le Ble in Brest, western France, on February 1, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 01 February 2025
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In-form Dembele hits hat-trick again as PSG thump Brest

  • Luis Enrique’s side are still unbeaten domestically this season and now sit 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table

PARIS: Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick for the second time in four days as Paris Saint-Germain hammered Brest 5-2 on Saturday in a dress rehearsal of the upcoming Champions League clash between the two sides.
Dembele followed up his three-goal haul in Wednesday’s 4-1 win at VfB Stuttgart which saw PSG secure a place in the knockout phase play-offs of Europe’s elite club competition.
The France winger opened the scoring in the first half, and netted two more after Romain Del Castillo had briefly brought Brest level.
Ludovic Ajorque pulled another one back for the home side to set up a grandstand finale, but substitute Goncalo Ramos wrapped up the win for PSG with a late double.
Luis Enrique’s side are still unbeaten domestically this season and now sit 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Marseille, who are second, can narrow that gap a little when they host Lyon on Sunday, but PSG are cruising to their 11th French league title in 13 years.
Dembele, meanwhile, is loving playing in a central attacking role rather than his traditional position wide on the right.
He has now scored 14 goals in his last nine games in all competitions, and is Ligue 1’s leading marksman with 14 for the season.
“I am well positioned in the number nine role. I owe it to myself to score goals,” Dembele told broadcaster beIN Sports.
“It was important to win today to keep our good run going and now we will see what happens in the Champions League.”
PSG’s record against domestic opponents this season means Brest will surely be dreading having to face Luis Enrique’s side again over two legs in the Champions League.
The teams will meet in the first leg on February 11 in Guingamp, where Brest are having to host Champions League games this season as their own Stade Francis-Le Ble does not meet UEFA requirements.
They were in their usual home stadium for this game, but they could not stop PSG making it 14 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Bradley Barcola raced onto a through ball before squaring for Dembele to open the scoring just before the half-hour mark.
Brest, who lost 3-0 against Real Madrid in midweek, came out fighting after the break and drew level five minutes into the second half thanks to a lovely low strike by Del Castillo from the edge of the box.
However, the visitors were back ahead before the hour mark as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was denied in the box but the ball broke for Dembele to score.
He then completed his hat-trick soon after, having been picked out by a superb Lee Kang-in pass.
Ajorque’s terrific hit made it 3-2, but Ramos came on for Dembele and made it 4-2 on 89 minutes at the end of a counterattack led by Desire Doue, who had replaced Kvaratskhelia.
Ramos, the Portugal striker, then scored again deep in injury time, his eighth goal of the season coming as he tried to set up a teammate but saw the ball break back to him.
Brest are eighth, four points outside the European places for next season.
Monaco play Auxerre and Lille host Saint-Etienne in Saturday’s other matches.


Trezeguet brace gives Ahly CAF Champions League victory

Updated 11 sec ago
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Trezeguet brace gives Ahly CAF Champions League victory

Success for the Red Devils in Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions
Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds

JOHANNESBURG: Former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan scored the goals that gave Al Ahly of Egypt a 2-0 victory over Young Africans of Tanzania on Friday in the CAF Champions League.
Success for the Red Devils in the Mediterranean city Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions.
Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds. JS Kabylie of Algeria and FAR Rabat of Morocco, who meet on Saturday, have one point each.
Young Africans created more chances than Ahly in a cagey first half only to fall behind in the third minute of added time.
A perfect cross from Mohamed Hany was nodded by captain Trezeguet into the corner of the net past Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Ahly stamped their authority on the match in the second half and deservedly increased their lead on 75 minutes.
Slick, one-touch passing set up Trezeguet, who moved across several defenders inside the area before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.
The goals lifted Trezeguet to five in the Champions League this season, level with Brazilian Tiago Reis from Angolan club Petro Luanda at the top of the charts.
Slovenian substitute Nejc Gradisar squandered a good chance to put Ahly even further ahead when he fired wide with only Diarra to beat.
In Group C, Abdelrazig Omer bagged a brace as Al Hilal of Sudan drew 2-2 with former champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria in another top-of-the-table clash.
Sundowns, whose lone title came in 2016, and Hilal have five points each, with the South Africans ahead on goal difference.
A victory for either Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in Lubumbashi on Sunday will move the winners within one point of Sundowns and Hilal.
Omer put Hilal ahead on 15 minutes from close range after a run down the wing and pass from Burundian Jean Claude Girumugisha.
Sundowns were level seven minutes later as Brazilian Arthur Sales got behind the Hilal defense and his weak goal attempt trickled into the net.
A thunderbolt from South African international Teboho Mokoena from outside the box on 64 minutes edged Sundowns in front.
But once again a lead lasted only seven minutes. Poor defending by Sundowns enabled Omer to score again and take his goal tally in Africa this season to four.
Hilal substitute Emmanuel Flomo from Liberia was shown a straight red card for striking Khuliso Mudau in the face, leaving the visitors to play with 10 men for the last four minutes of regular time.
A further four matchday three fixtures are scheduled for Saturday, including defending champions Pyramids of Egypt away to Renaissance Berkane of Morocco.