Paris St Germain head coach Luis Enrique has singled out Ousmane Dembele’s defensive intensity ahead of next week’s Champions League showpiece against Arsenal, insisting the France forward has set a standard for how elite attackers should work without possession.
Speaking to reporters, Luis Enrique said Dembele’s mindset is now central to PSG’s approach, highlighting how the winger’s commitment shapes the team’s pressing structure.
“That’s Ousmane’s mentality. Every coach should show how he defends,” Luis Enrique said.
He added that the spotlight often falls on attackers only for their attacking output, arguing Dembele’s game is defined just as much by his off-ball contribution as by what he produces with the ball.
“We always tend to highlight what forwards do in attack but never what they do defensively. Ousmane always shows his individual quality on the ball and his ability to perform without the ball.”
Quick facts
- Luis Enrique praised Ousmane Dembele’s defensive work ahead of PSG’s Champions League final versus Arsenal.
- The PSG coach said Dembele’s mentality shows how attackers should defend and help the collective press.
- Dembele is viewed as a key figure in PSG’s rebuild under Luis Enrique.
- His transformation was highlighted during last year’s Champions League final against Inter Milan.
- PSG beat Inter 5-0 to win their first Champions League title.
- Dembele has been managing a sore calf after the Ligue 1 season ended last weekend.
- Luis Enrique expects the squad to be ready for the final, with Achraf Hakimi back in training.
Dembele, in Luis Enrique’s eyes, has become one of the clearest symbols of PSG’s rebuild, with the Spaniard pushing the idea that even the most naturally dangerous forwards must keep up the pressure as a team.
That shift was captured most vividly during last year’s Champions League final against Inter Milan, when the contest hinged not only on PSG’s attacking threat but also on how they forced the game into their rhythm.
Television footage showed Dembele locking eyes with Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer before surging forward to spark PSG’s press, an image that summed up the aggression and discipline Luis Enrique wanted from his front line.
PSG then tore through Inter to claim a 5-0 win and secure the club’s first Champions League triumph, with Dembele’s relentless work rate providing the momentum as much as his quality going forward.
From dribbler to complete attacker
For this year’s final, Dembele arrives after another significant European run, having developed from a winger often driven by instinct and dribbling into one of the more rounded attacking players in Luis Enrique’s system.
While his season has been defined by that growth, there is also a small fitness concern: Dembele has been nursing a sore calf following the end of Ligue 1 last weekend.
Even so, Luis Enrique expects PSG to have everyone available for the final, with fullback Achraf Hakimi also returning to training as the build-up continues.
