Paris Saint-Germain secured a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory against Strasbourg away in Alsace on Saturday afternoon, overcoming a first-half deficit with three late goals orchestrated by Ousmane Dembélé.
Match Statistics and Decisive Moments
- Gio Reyna opened the scoring for Strasbourg with a near-post shot deflected past goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
- Ousmane Dembélé delivered a 76th-minute cross converted by Ilya Zabarnyi, scored an 85th-minute long-range strike, and Ferran Torres assisted Désiré Doué in injury time.
- Manager Luis Enrique implemented a heavy squad rotation, resting key starters including Marquinhos.
Strasbourg Takes Control Before the Break
The hosts applied early pressure and capitalized on defensive lapses in Alsace. Gio Reyna fired an opportunistic shot at the near post that took a crucial deflection off a defender, leaving goalkeeper Matvey Safonov stranded in the PSG goal.
🚨 LIGUE1 🚨 🇫🇷FULL-TIME: STRASBOURG 1–3 PSG!PSG TURN IT AROUND! A late comeback seals all three points after Strasbourg took the lead.⚽ 17' — Giovanni Reyna puts Strasbourg ahead.⚽ 77' — Illia Zabarnyi levels for PSG.⚽ 85' — Ousmane Dembélé puts PSG in front.⚽ 90+3'… https://t.co/f4TOeZOtKJ pic.twitter.com/XdluhuMQRg
Strasbourg nearly doubled their advantage after the break. Conrad Harder rose to meet a cross with a powerful header that Safonov parried, and Reyna lashed the rebound over the crossbar. Harder tested the Russian shot-stopper again on 66 minutes from a tight angle, but Safonov denied him once more to preserve the narrow 1-0 deficit.
Dembélé and Zabarnyi Spark Late Comeback
The momentum shifted entirely inside the final quarter-hour. PSG earned a penalty kick that Ousmane Dembélé failed to convert, but the forward immediately atoned for the miss by orchestrating the equalizer.
With 76 minutes played, Dembélé whipped a dangerous delivery into the penalty area, where Ilya Zabarnyi turned it home to level the score. Nine minutes later, Dembélé reacted quickest to a loose ball, driving a low strike from distance past the Strasbourg defense for his first Ligue 1 goal of the campaign. Désiré Doué added a third in stoppage time following an assist from Ferran Torres to seal the points.
Luis Enrique Defends Heavy Rotation Strategy
Manager Luis Enrique gambled significantly by heavily rotating his starting lineup ahead of upcoming fixtures, omitting Marquinhos entirely from the matchday squad. Maghnes Akliouche was handed a start in the midfield, earning praise from his manager for his ongoing development despite the tactical risk nearly backfiring in Alsace.
| Player | Minute | Action / Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Gio Reyna | First Half | Scored opening goal via deflection |
| Ilya Zabarnyi | 76th | Equalized following Dembélé cross |
| Ousmane Dembélé | 85th | Scored from range for first Ligue 1 goal |
| Désiré Doué | Injury Time | Secured final goal via Torres assist |
The hard-fought victory preserves PSG’s domestic momentum while providing vital recovery time for key starters ahead of their upcoming schedule.
