‘We consider what is best for the team’ – Luis Enrique explains benching Ousmane Dembélé
The question of whether Kylian Mbappé (25) starts a game or not is the subject of headlines in France, and it’s a question that overshadows almost all else at Paris Saint-Germain. Even Ousmane Dembélé (26) who was brought in ostensibly as a replacement for Neymar (32) for a not insignificant sum is forgotten.
Lost in the Mbappé conversations has been the fact that Dembélé has only started in two of PSG’s last five fixtures, while Mbappé has started in three. In part, this is because the optics around these decisions feel notably different.
Mbappé being benched or substituted feels as if it has some greater political motive hidden barely beneath the surface, while in contrast, the decision behind Dembélé looks sporting.
Ousmane Dembélé's (26) positioning crucial to PSG's victory over Real Sociedad:
