Ferran Torres hat-trick powers PSG to dominant win over Slovan Bratislava
Paris Saint-Germain opened their Champions League title defence with a commanding 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, with new signing Ferran Torres scoring a hat-trick and Ousmane Dembele adding two goals.
Strong start to PSG's European campaign
Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, according to the BBC and Yahoo Sports, launching their UEFA Champions League title defence in emphatic fashion.
Spanish World Cup winner Ferran Torres, who joined PSG from Barcelona over the summer, scored a hat-trick on his European debut for the club. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele also shone, scoring twice within six minutes in the first half — the first from a rebound after Nuno Mendes' effort hit the post, the second a header from a deflected cross. Dembele then turned provider, setting up Torres for a simple tap-in.
In the second half, Torres added two more goals — one shortly after the restart following a clever lay-off from Maghnes Akliouche, and the third, completing his hat-trick, from Dembele's corner inside a crowded penalty area. Slovan's Suleiman Camara pulled one back, but Fabian Ruiz added a sixth for PSG late on, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Notably, this emphatic European win stands in sharp contrast to PSG's domestic form: the club currently sits 13th in Ligue 1, having yet to win a league match this season — two draws and one defeat, per the BBC. Such a convincing victory, however, could boost confidence in PSG's pursuit of a third consecutive Champions League title, a goal captain Marquinhos referenced before the match, noting that manager Luis Enrique would not hesitate to drop underperforming players.
Context: PSG's summer reinforcements
PSG's squad was strengthened over the summer by several new arrivals, including Belgian winger Mika Godts, who joined from Ajax Amsterdam for around €45 million to replace Bradley Barcola, who moved to Liverpool, according to Foot Mercato. News of Godts' transfer broke publicly on 31 July, when a video surfaced online showing him meeting PSG sporting director Luis Campos in the streets of Porto — a meeting that was meant to stay secret, according to CulturePSG.
Elsewhere in Wednesday's Champions League fixtures, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1, Liverpool came from behind to defeat Atletico Madrid 2-1, Barcelona routed Feyenoord 5-1, and Arsenal beat Napoli 1-0 thanks to a Martin Odegaard strike.
