It’s a nightmare scenario for Paris Saint-Germain and their fans: Ousmane Dembélé, the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner, has been struck down by injury yet again. Just weeks after being hailed as the world’s best male player, Dembélé’s bad luck continued as he was forced off the pitch in the early stages of PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. But here’s where it gets even more heartbreaking—this latest setback comes just as Dembélé was hitting his stride, leaving fans and pundits alike wondering if he’s cursed by an injury-prone fate.
The drama began in the 23rd minute when Dembélé thought he’d equalized for PSG. A perfectly lofted cross from Achraf Hakimi found the 28-year-old, who chested it down and poked it past Bayern’s keeper. The Parc des Princes erupted in celebration—only for VAR to intervene. After a painstaking review, replays revealed Dembélé had strayed fractionally offside in the build-up. The goal was disallowed, and Bayern’s early lead, courtesy of Luis Díaz’s clinical finish, remained intact. The stadium’s mood soured further just two minutes later when Dembélé, clutching his thigh and grimacing in pain, signaled to the bench. Manager Luis Enrique swiftly replaced him with Bradley Barcola, but the damage was done. Dembélé stormed down the tunnel, his frustration palpable, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.
This isn’t the first time Dembélé’s body has betrayed him. Just days earlier, during PSG’s 1-0 league win over OGC Nice, cameras caught the winger confiding in Hakimi during stoppage time, visibly distressed. ‘It hurts so bad,’ he was heard saying, pointing to his right hamstring. Those words sent alarm bells ringing in Paris, as Dembélé’s history with hamstring injuries is well-documented, dating back to his days at Barcelona. Despite Luis Enrique’s pre-match reassurance that Dembélé was ‘fully fit,’ the player’s sprint down the tunnel told a different story—one of frustration and a body he knows all too well.
And this is the part most people miss: Dembélé’s latest injury isn’t believed to be a recurrence of his previous hamstring issue. Speaking post-match, Luis Enrique described it as ‘something new,’ adding, ‘We need to be very careful.’ But with Dembélé’s injury history, can PSG afford to take risks? Or is this the beginning of another lengthy spell on the sidelines for their star man?
But here’s where it gets controversial: As Dembélé’s injury saga unfolded, PSG’s night went from bad to worse. With their attacking spark extinguished, Bayern capitalized ruthlessly. Díaz doubled his tally with a thunderous strike, exposing a disjointed PSG defense. However, the turning point came just before halftime when Díaz launched into a reckless, high tackle on Hakimi, catching the Moroccan full-back’s ankle. The challenge was so severe that referee Maurizio Mariani, after reviewing the VAR monitor, had no choice but to brandish a straight red. Hakimi was carried off in tears, his participation in next month’s Africa Cup of Nations—where he’s expected to captain Morocco on home soil—now in serious doubt. Is this a case of Bayern’s aggression crossing the line, or simply the brutal reality of elite football?
By full-time, PSG’s night had turned disastrous. Despite Joao Neves pulling one back in the 74th minute, Bayern held firm for a 2-1 victory. For Luis Enrique, the defeat is about more than lost points—it’s about a mounting injury crisis that threatens to derail PSG’s season. Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern sit comfortably atop the Champions League group stage with 12 points from four matches, their eyes already on the next challenge: a titanic clash against Arsenal at the Emirates on November 26.
Here’s the burning question: Can PSG survive without Dembélé and Hakimi, or will their injury woes prove too much to overcome? And for Dembélé, is this just another setback, or the beginning of a career defined by what-ifs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is one debate that’s sure to spark differing opinions.
