Ousmane Dembélé is at the center of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman is less than a year removed since he decided to leave Spain and return to France.
As a result, the 26-year-old has been reflecting on his decision to leave the Catalan side and begin a new chapter in the French capital. Dembélé recently spoke about his move and noted the maturity that has come with now playing for PSG.
L’Equipe recently reported on the player’s mindset regarding going up against his former team for 180 minutes. According to the French media outlet, Dembélé keeps repeating internally that he is ultra-motivated to play against Barça and describes it as the “match of the year.”
Ousmane Dembélé keeps repeating internally that he is ultra-motivated to play against Barça. He describes it as “match of the year.” 🔴🔵🇫🇷🔥 @lequipe #UCL pic.twitter.com/cioEjrjkPJ
— PSG Report (@PSG_Report) April 9, 2024
Though Dembélé’s goal-scoring abilities may be lacking, the 2018 FIFA World Cup champion has stepped up as a playmaker, skillfully filling the void resulting from Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.’s departures this past summer.
Nonetheless, it appears the move to Paris has helped the forward on and off the pitch, considering he’s not dealt with any significant injuries and is showing his skillset out on the pitch and finding success.