The Rise

January 22, 2025, Parc des Princes. Manchester City lead 2-0 through Grealish and Haaland. PSG are on the brink. Then, in 36 minutes, everything changes.

Champions League - League Phase · 2025-01-22

Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Manchester City

50' J. Grealish 0-1

53' E. Haaland 0-2

56' O. Dembélé 1-2

60' B. Barcola 2-2

78' João Neves 3-2

90+3' Gonçalo Ramos 4-2

They were quicker, faster, they won the duels, we could not cope. The best team won.

Pep Guardiola

Post-match press conference after PSG 4-2 Man City, January 22, 2025

Full Pep Guardiola press conference after PSG 4-2 Man City

Also in January, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia arrives from Napoli and the attacking trident finds its definitive shape. Luis Enrique repositions Dembélé as a central forward. The transformation is spectacular.

Incredible, Dembélé as a number 9, that's the idea of the century and it all comes down to the coach.

Jean-Louis Gasset

Press conference, April 2025

4-3-3

The Luis Enrique system: 4-3-3 false 9

Knockout Phase

Brest are swept aside 10-0 over two legs in the play-offs, seven different scorers in the second leg at the Parc des Princes. Then Liverpool in the round of 16. At the Parc, PSG are utterly dominant. Alisson makes 9 saves, the performance of his life. Liverpool somehow escape with a 1-0 win. In the return leg, Dembélé scores at Anfield in the 12th minute. In the penalty shootout, Donnarumma saves from Núñez and Jones.

Champions League - Round of 16 (2nd leg) · 2025-03-11

Liverpool 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain

12' O. Dembélé 0-1

Penalties: 1 - 4

PSG vs Liverpool - 1st leg at Parc des Princes

PSG shots

Liverpool: 2

PSG possession

Alisson saves

It was the best game of football I was ever involved in.

Arne Slot

After Liverpool's penalty shootout elimination, Round of 16, Anfield, March 11, 2025

Aston Villa fall 5-4 on aggregate in an epic quarter-final. Then Arsenal. Dembélé strikes in the 4th minute at the Emirates, the earliest goal Arsenal had ever conceded in a Champions League knockout match. At the Parc, Fabián Ruiz and Hakimi seal it.

Champions League - Semi-final (1st leg) · 2025-04-29

Arsenal 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain

4' O. Dembélé 0-1

Champions League - Semi-final (2nd leg) · 2025-05-07

Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal

27' Fabián Ruiz 1-0

72' A. Hakimi 2-0

76' B. Saka 2-1

I hope PSG finally wins the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta

After Arsenal's semi-final elimination, May 2025

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