UCL: PSG sweat over Ballon d’Or winner injury crisis
Paris Saint-Germain’s nightmare evening against Bayern Munich worsened when Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele was forced off early with another suspected hamstring injury during their 2-1 Champions League defeat at the Parc des Princes.
The French forward, who was only recently declared fit, lasted just 25 minutes before limping off in visible pain, moments after seeing an equaliser ruled out for offside by VAR.
From joy to despair in seconds
In the 23rd minute, Dembele thought he had levelled the score when he chested down Achraf Hakimi’s cross and poked it home. However, VAR replays showed he had strayed marginally offside, and the goal was disallowed.
Two minutes later, the winger clutched his thigh and signalled to the bench. Luis Enrique immediately substituted him for Bradley Barcola as a frustrated Dembele walked straight down the tunnel.
The incident renews concerns over his long-standing hamstring issues, which have plagued his career since his Barcelona days.
Just days earlier, he had expressed discomfort during PSG’s league win over Nice, admitting: “It hurts so bad… I’m hurting in my hamstring.”
Luis Enrique’s optimism backfires
Before kickoff, Enrique had insisted that Dembele was “fully fit” and ready to start. Those claims crumbled inside half an hour as the winger’s body betrayed him once more.
Speaking after the match, the PSG boss said: “I think it’s something new. We need to be careful; we’re trying to improve the players’ condition.”
Dembele’s injury overshadowed another turbulent first half in which Luis Diaz scored twice for Bayern before being sent off for a dangerous tackle on Hakimi.
The Moroccan full-back was stretchered off in tears and is now a major doubt for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, where he was expected to captain host nation Morocco.
PSG unravel as Bayern go top
Despite Joao Neves pulling one back for PSG in the 74th minute, Bayern held firm to seal a 2-1 victory and maintain their perfect record in the group stage with 12 points from four matches.
About the Author
