Just like last year, Paris Saint-Germain will reach the Champions League final. Just like last year, Ousmane Dembélé has been a key figure in the knockout stages. Just like last year, the French forward has come out of his shell in January.
Paris Saint-Germain will be in the running to defend their Champions League title, and Ousmane Dembélé is also in the running to succeed himself on the list of Ballon d’Or winners.
Whilst his first half of the season, marred by muscle injuries, raised fears of a return to normality after six months of absolute glory, the French forward has regained the form he showed in the second half of last season.
Having scored 25 goals and provided 8 assists between January and June 2025 for PSG, including 22 goals from January to mid-March, Dembélé had taken his game to a whole new level following his permanent move into a central role. However, between repeated injuries and the after-effects of a season that had stretched all the way to the Club World Cup final in July, the former Rennes player struggled to get back on track.
Having scored just three goals and provided three assists against professional sides up until the winter break, Dembélé has really stepped up a gear since Christmas: in 2026, for his club alone, the 28-year-old forward has netted 15 goals and provided seven assists, despite his manager Luis Enrique managing his playing time sparingly. One might almost ask him if he’s hiding a secret ingredient in the turkey.
A rise to prominence in the Champions League
Regularly rested in the league like most of Paris’s first-team regulars (only 9 starts this season in Ligue 1), Dembélé is gradually rediscovering his superhero form in the Champions League: a goalscorer in the first leg against Chelsea (5-2) in the round of 16, he reminded everyone of his brilliance by burying Liverpool (2-0) with a brace against the run of play in the quarter-final second leg.
Then his two-legged tie against Bayern Munich (5-4, 1-1) in the semi-finals speaks for itself. With two goals and an assist in the first leg, and a decisive strike in the third minute of the second leg from his only shot of the match, Dembélé has once again become the embodiment of this lethal PSG side, capable of striking at any moment, and already set on a potential second consecutive European title on 30 May in Budapest.
PSG: Zaïre-Emery, a valuable all-rounder
With Achraf Hakimi sidelined through injury, Paris Saint-Germain’s versatile midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery put in an excellent performance at right-back against Bayern Munich (1-1, 5-4 on aggregate) on Wednesday in the Champions League semi-final second leg. The French international continues to impress everyone.
Paris Saint-Germain went into the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich (1-1) without one of their best players: right-back Achraf Hakimi, who was injured late in the first leg (5-4).
However, the absence of the Moroccan international did not hamper the reigning European champions. In that position, midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery was excellent, providing vital versatility.
Yet the French international’s start to the match was far from straightforward. Put under pressure by Luis Diaz in the opening minutes, the Parisian then went on to produce a fine performance. As impressive as ever in his work rate, he was instrumental in covering the ground needed to meet the challenge posed by the Munich side. An impact praised by L’Equipe consultant Bixente Lizarazu.
“Zaïre-Emery has been impressive this season. He’s been excellent in midfield in place of Fabian Ruiz. He has fulfilled his role and, ultimately, Hakimi’s absence has not been as detrimental as one might have feared. That is the strength of this team: its ability to adapt,” said the former Bayern defender. Rated 8/10 by the Maxifoot editorial team (see Debrief and Ratings here), Zaïre-Emery has indeed risen to the occasion in this European clash.
An impressive return to form
This fine performance, in a major Champions League fixture, is further confirmation of the Tricolore’s superb season. After his dip in form in 2024–2025, Zaïre-Emery is living up to the potential he showed at the start of his very young career. “He was fantastic! I even wonder if he isn’t better on the right than in midfield! He’s massive. This lad is really coming into his own…”, said former Parisian defender Patrick Colleter in Le Parisien.
“He had a bit of a dip last season, but today he’s in top form. He put in a brilliant performance. Physically, I’ve found him so strong since the start of the year. In one-on-one situations and when winning the ball back, he’s truly impressive,” he concluded. A key asset for Paris.
