Enrique hails Dembele, praises Toure after PSG’s win over Bratislava

PSG manager hails ‘marvellous’ Dembele aft the French guardant scored 2 goals successful PSG’s 6-1 triumph implicit Toure’s side.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has hailed his Ballon d’Or-winning guardant Ousmane Dembele for a “marvellous” show arsenic the French nine began their bid to assertion a 3rd consecutive Champions League title with a large victory.

“That was the Ousmane that we each cognize and that we person seen implicit the past 3 years, and erstwhile you spot the quality helium has to make and to press, to assistance the team, it is simply a existent pleasure,” PSG’s Spanish manager said aft Dembele scored the archetypal 2 goals successful PSG’s 6-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava connected Wednesday.

Prior to this, Dembele had been utilized sparingly successful PSG’s matches truthful acold this play arsenic helium builds up his fittingness again aft the World Cup.

“He played truly well. He volition physique up his fittingness gradually, but it is marvellous to spot a subordinate similar that,” Luis Enrique added.

Dembele besides acceptable up 2 goals for Ferran Torres, who netted a hat-trick connected his European debut for PSG. Fabian Ruiz got the location team’s different goal.

PSG ran retired casual winners contempt Luis Enrique leaving some Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, 2 of his different cardinal attacking performers, connected the bench.

“Kvara and Doue are unthinkable players. For me, Kvara could triumph the Ballon d’Or, arsenic could Dembele and others,” said the coach, with 10 PSG players listed among the 30 nominees to triumph the astir prestigious idiosyncratic grant successful the game.

Yaya Toure picks PSG arsenic rubric favourites

Enrique was besides afloat of praise for his other fig Yaya Toure, who is successful complaint of Slovan this season, contempt the dense decision for the distant side.

“It is hard to play distant to the squad that has been champions successful the past 2 years, but I emotion the mode they effort to play,” helium said.

“Today was not the champion time for them due to the fact that we showed it tin beryllium precise hard to play against america erstwhile we property astatine that level. It is hard for immoderate opponent, but helium has the prime to beryllium a large manager.”

The erstwhile Ivory Coast, Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder is the first African to manager a squad successful Europe’s elite nine competition.

After starring them done 3 qualifying rounds to get to the league phase, Toure acknowledged that it was intolerable to vie with the defending champions.

“For me, Paris are going to beryllium adjacent to winning the trophy again, and my players gave their best, but it wasn’t easy. They are exceptional,” said Toure, who was appointed by the Slovak broadside during the adjacent season.

“I can’t enactment 4 men connected Dembele. I privation my squad to play too, and they did each they could.

“I was disappointed contiguous due to the fact that Ousmane hasn’t looked astatine his champion successful the past fewer games, but contiguous helium was astatine 200 percent,” helium joked.

“I person been moving with these players for conscionable a fewer months, and present they recognize however bully the precise champion teams are. There is simply a sizeable spread betwixt the sides, but this volition assistance america to turn and get better.”

Slovan Bratislava’s caput manager Yaya Toure, left, speaks with adjunct manager Serge Costa during a grooming league [Franck Fife/AFP]