Recap: Seven-goal thriller as PSG see off Brest (5-2)

Seven goals, and a second consecutive hat-trick for Ousmane Dembélé in a week sees Paris Saint-Germain grab all three points against Brest in a thrilling affair at Stade Francis Le Blé

Stade Brestois and Paris Saint-Germain would be making the first of three meetings set to take place in February, with both sides facing each other in Ligue 1 McDonald's action as well as in the UEFA Champions League knockout play-off round. Les Parisiens were going into the game hoping to continue their recent uplift in form and to continue to set the pace at the top of the table.

Les Pirates on the other hand were hoping to keep their latest positive run of three wins in a row going, but it was tough opposition with the League leaders coming to town. Back at Stade Francis Le Blé after their midweek European fever dream against Real Madrid in the Champions League, it was back to the grind of the domestic action for Brest - who were hoping to consolidate their top 10 spot.

It was the Rouge et Bleu who would get themselves in front in the first half, with an almost-identical goal to the opener in Stuttgart in the Champions League only several days ago. Bradley Barcola was played in behind off the left side of the Brest back four, and the Frenchman sped down on goal and deftly rolled the ball across for Ousmane Dembélé to finish into an open net (29') to score his fourth goal in a matter of days with Les Parisiens.

Gianluigi Donnaruamma then had to be on guard with a fine save, as Brest looked to immediately back into the game and Romain Faivre found himself free inside the box to have a strike at goal. With those two major events of the first half, Les Parisiens looked eager to double their lead going into the second period. Yet, the Ti'Zefs wouldn't be beaten that easily.

Just five minutes after returning for the second period, Romain Del Castillo popped up with a sensational equaliser from the edge of the box. The Frenchman latched onto a ball headed away by Willian Pacho with a superb first-time strike drilled into the bottom corner. The league leaders would have a game on their hands. Winning duels high and early, Brest continued to trouble the PSG defence, with Ajorque's improvised effort on goal needing to be watched carefully by Donnarumma. 

Dembouz runs riot, but Brest fight back

Yet, the side from the French capital managed to strike back in cold blood. Kvaratskhelia hassled the Brest defence from a long ball and his strike on goal was saved well by Marco Bizot but rebounded straight to the feet of Ousmane Dembélé who simply poked home for his second goal of the game, and his fifth goal for PSG in a number of days (57'). Five would then become six, as substitute Kang-In Lee provided a lovely turn in the box and put the ball on a plate for… Dembélé to stroke into the back of the net (62'). A second hat-trick in a matter of days for the tricky winger.

Les Parisiens looked clear just after the hour-mark, but Ludovic Ajorque would sound a late rebellion when he received the ball on the edge of the box, shifted past Pacho and curled a strike past Donnarumma to get the hosts back into the game (71'). Les Pirates then put on the pressure, with Kamory Doumbia's cross from a corner almost finding itself flying directly in, but it would flash just past Donnarumma's left post. Yet, the suspense would end once Gonçalo Ramos finished the game off for good with a finish into an open net after a sweeping Parisian counter attack (89'). The Portuguese striker would then definitively end the test in the final minute of injury time to secure his brace, once again on the counter attack and sweeping away a finish past Bizot to secure all three points for Les Parisiens (90+6'). 

THE STAT: 54

Paris Saint-Germain have scored 54 goals in 20 Ligue 1 McDonald's games this season. It is their best total in the elite at this stage of the competition since the 2018-2019 campaign under Thomas Tuchel (62 goals). 

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