Ousmane Dembélé netted a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-1 victory at Stuttgart, sealing their place in the Champions League knockout stages. PSG were on the brink of elimination after a challenging group stage with three losses and a draw, but they dominated an outclassed Stuttgart side to secure a spot in the play-off round.
PSG took the lead early with Bradley Barcola heading in from a Désiré Doué cross following a corner. Stuttgart looked for an equalizer, but PSG struck on the counter, with Dembélé tapping in a pass from Barcola.
The French side’s attack kept clicking, with Doué, Barcola, and Dembélé combining for a powerful third goal from Dembélé, who blasted a shot into the top corner. After halftime, Dembélé completed his hat-trick, sealing the win and extinguishing Stuttgart’s hopes of a comeback.
Stuttgart pulled one back in the 77th minute with an own goal by Willian Pacho, but the damage was already done. The victory ensures PSG’s place in the play-off round, while Stuttgart are eliminated from the competition.
The win eases the pressure on PSG coach Luis Enrique, as the team remains unbeaten in Ligue 1 and now looks ahead to a two-legged knockout tie in February.
