Dembélé completes second career hat trick for PSG

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembélé completed the second hat trick of his career Wednesday, and it was good timing for his team.

The France forward achieved the feat in the 54th minute as PSG built a 4-0 lead at Stuttgart in their Champions League game. PSG won the game 4-1 and advanced to the knockout round.

Dembélé scored three goals in succession after Bradley Barcola gave PSG an early lead in the sixth minute.

Dembélé said playing in a No. 9 role has helped him become more decisive.

“As soon as I take the best of a player, I find myself in front of goal,” he said after winning the man-of-the-match trophy. “I had the lucidity to score and was also very well assisted by my teammates.”

The 27-year-old Dembélé has scored four goals in six Champions League matches this season.

His previous hat trick was in 2016, when as a teenager he netted three goals for Rennes in a 4–1 victory over Nantes in Ligue 1.

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 Désiré Doué’s clever flick.

Dembélé doubled PSG's lead in the 17th and made it 3-0 in the 35th. According to Opta statistics, PSG had not led 3-0 so quickly in a Champions League match since 2013.

After a stuttering campaign marred by three defeats, PSG got back into playoff contention after coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Manchester City last week.

“We have been playing well recently, we control possession and we win matches,” Dembélé said. “The team's spirit is very good.”

PSG was without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was not qualified to play due to UEFA rules after joining from Napoli earlier this month.

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