Ousmane Dembรฉlรฉ scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win at Stuttgart, qualifying themselves for the Champions League knockout stages. PSG were facing elimination after a disappointing group stage, with three losses and a draw, but were utterly dominant against an outclassed Stuttgart side as they confirmed their place in the play-off round.
With six minutes gone, Bradley Barcola headed PSG in front after Dรฉsirรฉ Douรฉ stood a cross up at the back post following a corner. Stuttgart probed for an equalizer but PSG hit on the counter, Dembรฉlรฉ tapping a Barcola pass into an empty net.
Always a threat on the counter, Doueรฉ, Barcola and Dembรฉlรฉ linked up again for PSG’s third, with the latter blasting in a rocket from the right of the goal. Dembรฉlรฉ thrashed in another superb effort shortly after half-time to snuff out Stuttgart’s unlikely comeback hopes and keep the French side in the Champions League. Stuttgart got on the scoreboard after 77 minutes when Willian Pacho scored an own goal, but the damage was already done, with PSG keeping their hopes of a first Champions League trophy alive.
The victory relieves the pressure on PSG coach Luis Enrique and sets the French giants up for a two-legged knockout tie in February to progress to the last 16. The loss means Stuttgart are eliminated from the Champions League on their return to the competition after 15 years. Unbeaten and with a 10-point lead atop the table in Ligue 1, PSG had struggled with a tough draw in the competition’s new format.
Losses to Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, along with a home draw against PSV Eindhoven, had PSG facing an unthinkable early exit in a competition reformed to favour Europe’s big guns. Both sides knew a point would likely be enough to reach the knockouts and with PSG desperate to continue in Europe, they had fended off pre-match suggestions they may play for a draw in Germany.
Any such speculation was dispelled early when PSG energetically pressed Stuttgart into giving up a corner, with Barcola heading in a clever flick on from Desire Doueรฉ. PSG ‘keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved twice in quick succession from Stuttgart’s Chris Fuehrich before the visitors hit back on the counter, Dembรฉlรฉ tapping in an inch-perfect pass from Barcola after 26 minutes.
Dembรฉlรฉ put PSG up by three 10 minutes before the break, blasting an unstoppable rocket past home goalie Fabian Bredlow. The former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona forward completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, curling into the top corner. Stuttgart pushed PSG’s Pacho into an own goal with 13 minutes remaining but the effort remained just a consolation, with the visitors remaining in total control.
PSG got off a strong start and transformed its dominance into a lead from a corner. Barcola finished off the move with a header at the far post for his second consecutive goal in the tournament from Dรฉsirรฉ Douรฉโs clever flick. After a stuttering campaign marred by three defeats, PSG got back into playoff contention after coming back form 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Manchester City last week. PSG was without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was not qualified to play due to UEFA rules after joining from Napoli earlier this month.
Dozens of ‘hooligans’ arrested before match
Before the match, a total of 59 French ‘hooligans” were arrested due to fears of violence before Stuttgart faced Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, police in the German city said on Wednesday.
Police said they had made the arrests after checks in hotels and at train stations, while confirming that 47 “high-risk Stuttgart supporters” were also banned from the game.
A number of the Stuttgart fans, who were in possession of protective clothing, had attempted to stalk the PSG fans and were banned from the city centre and areas near the stadium, the police said.
“Before the match, it became apparent that French and German hooligans from both clubs wanted to take advantage of the last match of the Champions League group stage to provoke serious clashes outside the stadium,” Stuttgart police said in a statement.
Targeted checks had been carried out on Tuesday “to prevent the supporters, who were looking for violence,” the police said.
“Anyone who travels to Stuttgart to commit violent crimes off the pitch will be taken out of the game,” the Vice President of Police Carsten Hoefler said.
A judge approved a request to hold the 59 arrested persons in police custody until Thursday morning.
