Named by UEFA as the undisputed MVP of the match after saving two penalties, no one doubts that Donnarumma was the hero of PSG’s qualification. However, none of this would have been possible without the early goal from Ousmane Dembélé, which allowed PSG to level the tie after 12 minutes… and for him, it served to complete his revenge against Liverpool.

Dembélé's unfinished business with Liverpool

The events go back six years when Dembélé was still a player for Barcelona. Specifically, on May 1, 2019, when Barcelona defeated Liverpool (3-0) at Camp Nou with a goal from Luis Suárez and two from Messi… but Dembélé missed a fourth goal in the dying moments that could have sealed the tie.

That one-on-one chance against Alisson haunted Dembélé throughout his time at FC Barcelona. Especially after the way the tie unfolded in the return leg at Anfield, where Liverpool showed their most dominant version, overturning a result that seemed impossible… and denying Barcelona the chance to advance to that year’s Champions League final.

Dembélé is the player of the moment in Europe

Over these six years, Dembélé has been cooking up his revenge slowly, turning into the star PSG needed after Kylian Mbappé’s departure. With 29 goals in 36 matches this season, and 21 of them since the start of 2025, no one doubts that Dembélé is the player of the moment in Europe. But this last goal against Liverpool will be the most special.

Gone is that small conflict at the beginning of the season that led Luis Enrique to decide to leave Dembélé out of the squad for PSG's visit to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal. Dembélé is a completely new and reborn man… who has found the stability he needed in Paris to become the player he promised to be at Rennes.