Paris Saint-Germain launched their UEFA Champions League title defense in commanding style, cruising to a 6–1 victory over Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday in the opening matchday of the league phase.
The French giants put the contest beyond doubt early on through superior attacking quality, shaking off a sluggish domestic start and sending a firm statement as they pursue a third consecutive European crown.
Ousmane Dembélé opened the scoring in the 17th minute and doubled the advantage just six minutes later, before turning provider to set up Ferran Torres for PSG’s third in the 31st minute.
early in the second half, Ferran scored his second in the 47th minute and completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute—sealing a 26-minute treble that turned the match into an exhibition of Parisian attacking flair.
Suleiman Camara pulled a goal back for Slovan Bratislava in the 59th minute, before Fabián Ruiz rounded off the scoring spree with PSG’s sixth goal in the 88th minute.
The match marked Ferran’s first hat-trick in a PSG shirt and his opening Champions League goals for the French club, raising his tally to 5 goals in his first 4 official appearances after scoring a brace on his debut against Rennes.
Dembélé was equally decisive, contributing directly to PSG’s first three goals with two strikes and an assist. The French winger has now been directly involved in 8 of PSG’s last 12 Champions League goals and has scored in each of his last five appearances in the competition.
Despite the heavy defeat, the match represented a historic landmark for Yaya Touré, who became the first African manager to lead a team in the proper phase of the UEFA Champions League outside of the qualifying rounds.
With the victory, Paris Saint-Germain claimed early top spot in the Champions League table with a +5 goal difference, ahead of second-placed Barcelona.
