When English football fans think back to the famous return of Liverpool of 3-0 to beat Barcelona in 2019, many will remember the rapid corner routine of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Fox the Defenders or the general scenes of what the Catalans would call a raising.
But fans of Barça and France do not remember it for the return match, but a moment with remaining seconds at Camp Nou a week earlier.
Ousmane Dembele, the winger on foot from the Paris and Rouen fleet, received a square ball from Lionel Messi and had an easy finish to do it 4-0.
Pull on each side of Alisson and Barcelona in the final of the Champions League. At 3-0, they had a firm foot anyway in the Madrid final. But 4-0 would be too much, even for this large Liverpool team to turn around during a European night on fever under the lights of Anfield.
Instead, Dembele escaped the effort and the ball rolled in the recognition of Alisson. The rest, as we say, is the story … and Liverpool by Jurgen Klopp went to the final of Wanda Metropolitano to win his sixth European crown.
It was the most crucial moment of Liverpool who won this trophy. The bench had invited Alisson to go up for a corner of late reds, but Brazil n ° 1 stirred his finger and rejected. Although the real safeguard is a regulatory stop, its role should never be underestimated.
Ousmane Dembele is in the form of his life before the bond of the PSG Champions League with Liverpool
Dembele’s first leg for Barcelona was a crucial moment in the semi-finals six years ago
The French position has been adapted to PSG and has scored 18 goals so far in 2025
For Dembele, however, it was his career in a microcosm. “If it is used correctly, he could be the best player in the world,” said the former boss of Barça Xavi, while his former Rennes manager, Julien Stephan, insisted: “If he was a better finisher, he could have won a golden ball now.”
Six years later, Dembele can finally say that it is indeed a better finisher. And my boy can end up. In 2025 alone, he has 18 goals – more than anyone in the best five leagues in Europe by a certain section. Even the marking machine that Mohamed Salah has only – “only” joking – struck 10.
As for this full season, only five men have ahead of Dembele, a business winger, in the big leagues: Robert Lewandowski, Salah, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. It would be wrong to call it a late flowering but, finally, at 27, the French managed its potential.
The bets love it. While Mail Sport went for a trot along the banks of the Seine to the Eiffel Tower and back on Tuesday, under the glorious spring sun, many PSG shirts were spotted: many always bearing the names of Messi and Neymar … but more with Dembele.
Apart from the Parc des Princes, the club shop was a roaring business. Mbappe is forgotten, now Dembele is the poster for this new team. If he continues like that, Dembele could well be on the podium at the superb Chatele theater for this year’s golden balloon ceremony.
It hasn’t always been like this.
“He was literally unplayable and unstoppable,” said French football expert Julien Laurens to Mail Sport. “It was a really interesting trip to him. When you think of Young Dembele in Rennes and then Dortmund, it was such a prodigy.
“It was extraordinary, we hadn’t seen anything like in France for years. So many skills, dribbling, two feet, no pressure. In Rennes, he was like a UFO … something from another planet!
Dembele was considered a prodigy in Rennes and then in Dortmund before moving to Barcelona
Joan Laporta said that Dembele would be “better than Mbappe” after having signed it for 135.5 million pounds sterling
The time of Dembele in Barcelona is widely known for a bad finish and a series of injuries
After having excelled in France and then in Germany, Barcelona paid 135.5 million pounds sterling to sign him in 2017 and President Joan Laporta said he would be “better than Mbappe”. There have been times high there, but her career La Liga is widely known for bad finish and injuries.
Indeed, TransferMarkt Data records 14 separate muscular shots at Camp Nou, spending 784 days away and featured in only 37% of championship matches. He also fought with the lifestyle – he wanted to live like all other men in their twenties but could not.
A source indicates a turning point like his marriage in 2021 in Morocco, which surprised teammates because they did not even know that he had a girlfriend. He quickly became a father and started working with a specialist in injury prevention, also employing a French nutritionist.
His last contract at Barça came in time of financial turbulence, he therefore inserted a release clause of 50 million euros ($ 41 million) – whose PSG was well aware. “Things seemed to train under Xavi at Barça, but he wanted to be in Paris and play with his super near Mbappe friend,” added Laurens.
“PSG thought they were getting a good deal – it was French, good age, obvious. They thought they could take him to the next level. (Manager) Luis Enrique knew that he could transform him.
“Living in Paris was good for him, life is easier for him and he knew that this team would become his when Mbappe left for Real Madrid. He knew he could become the boss of the team. He knew he was ready, Ousmane knew it was his time now.
Luis Enrique, winner of the Champions League as a boss of Barça, spent hours working with Dembele to change his position to be a false n ° 9. They made a foot on clips in the analysis room, looking at the positioning, the shape of the body and the right time to shoot.
The 27-year-old may have tried to impress in the past, but was inspired by a Salah video where the Egyptian says that players do not have to be at their higher level for 90 minutes, as long as they come to life when he is important.
Dembele has become the key figure of the PSG team after the Mbappe move to Real Madrid
Luis Enrique spent hours working with Dembele to change his position to be a false n ° 9
Dembele has now played a leader’s role in PSG in a team filled with young talents
Its finish has been transformed since the beginning of the year and will display a threat to Liverpool
“We are witnessing a phenomenon,” wrote a Parisian columnist on Dembele this week, while Luis Enrique described him as “ like a PlayStation footballer ”.
PSG has long been the laughing stock of the continent for some of their flops on the biggest scene. But Luis Enrique pivoted them far from a selfish team of galacticos to a young team who is not full of individuals but who is prosperous with the united unit.
Dembele is now the figure of leader, but it is completed by talented stars such as Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Walter Zaire-Emery. The new signature, Georgia Khvicha Kvaratskhelia winger will add a new dimension after its January move from Napoli.
As for this Golden Ball of former Stephan coach, several contenders will be on the ground on Wednesday when Dembele and friends will meet Salah and Co in the Parc des Princes. Since its loss against Bayern Munich in November, PSG has been undefeated in 22 games and has scored 66 goals at that time.
Given the form of the two teams, this is a match that would be suitable for the grand finale of May in Munich.
“Since the start of the year, Dembele has been completely transformed,” said Laurens. “At the start of this season, he would miss sitting after sitter. We never thought he could improve this radically to be so effective.
“No one in their craziest dreams of the club would have thought that he could turn into Brazilian bonus Ronaldo!”
