Luis Enrique made eight changes after the Manchester City win and then watched his reserves fall behind at Strasbourg. It did not stay that way for long. Paris St-Germain brought on five of their regulars in the second half, turned the game around, and finished as 3-1 winners to make it six victories in a row in all competitions.
A deflection, then a reshuffle
PSG had beaten Manchester City 4-2 in the Champions League in midweek, and the rotation that followed was heavy. The changed side was punished when Giovanni Reyna's shot took a deflection and ended up in the net, handing Strasbourg a lead they would hold into the second half.
Enrique's answer was to send on five of his stars after the break. The effect was quick. Ousmane Dembele, one of those introduced, whipped in a cross that Illia Zabarnyi converted for the equaliser.
Dembele's penalty, and his redemption
The next moment looked as if it might cost PSG. Dembele, the Ballon d'Or holder, put a penalty wide when a second goal was there for the taking. A missed spot-kick can sap a team's momentum, but the visitors kept pressing and Strasbourg never really got out from under it.
With five minutes to go Dembele made amends himself, drilling a low shot in from 16 yards to put PSG in front. Desire Doue added the third in injury time, finishing off a ball from Ferran Torres.
Top of Ligue 1
The result takes PSG to the top of the table, ahead of their rivals' weekend matches. It is quite a turnaround for a side that was 13th in Ligue 1 after three games. Enrique's team have now stacked up six wins on the bounce, and the Strasbourg game showed they can do it with a bench as well as a first XI.
The lesson from this one is about depth. Eight changes would unsettle most squads, yet PSG lost nothing except an early goal and a penalty. That sort of margin matters in a season where Champions League nights and league fixtures keep arriving in the same week.
Match facts: Strasbourg 1-3 Paris St-Germain (Ligue 1, Saturday 17 October 2026). Strasbourg goal: Giovanni Reyna (deflected shot). PSG goals: Illia Zabarnyi (equaliser, from a Dembele cross), Ousmane Dembele (five minutes from time), Desire Doue (injury time, from a Ferran Torres ball). Dembele missed a penalty before scoring.
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