Dembele Brace Powers PSG Past Brest

After Les Parisiens stretched their amazing undefeated run to 17 games with a 3-0 victory against Brest, Paris Saint-Germain gains advantage in this UEFA Champions League knockout stage play-off tie. As it was the first all-French Champions League quarterfinal match since Lyon and Bordeaux’s 2009/10 encounter, this first-leg showdown was historic evening.

Although they both participate in Ligue 1, these two sides are clearly somewhat familiar with one another, yet there was still a sense that the couple were feeling each other out in the early going.

But early on, Gianluigi Donnarumma’s attempted clearing cannoned off the head of Ludovic Ajorque and dropped inches wide of the post in a most unusual manner.

PSG seized the opportunity, accumulating even more wealth up the other end as Pierre Lees-Melou’s goalbound effort was thwarted by the hand of nearly exactly on the line.

For the resultant spot-kick, Vitinha moved forward, boldly sliding the ball into the corner to fire Les Parisiens ahead.

Though they came so close to returning on level terms before the break as Abdallah Sima ascended highest in the area and slammed a header against the post, that was a major setback for Brest in their inaugural European campaign.

Dembele’s present form would not be a PSG game without him being involved; the Frenchman’s now usual goal certainly arrived before half-time when he surged forward down the right, dipped inside, and hammered home a left-footed shot at the near post.