Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick and Ousmane Dembélé added two goals as Paris Saint-Germain opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a commanding 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Also read: Ronaldo Scores 979th Career Goal as Al Nassr Beat Abha 2-1

The emphatic result gave the defending champions an ideal start to their bid for a third consecutive Champions League title, with Torres and Dembélé combining to overwhelm the Slovak champions before half-time.

Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, opened the scoring after 17 minutes following a powerful effort from Nuno Mendes that struck the post.

The ball fell kindly to Dembélé, who controlled it before calmly finishing to put PSG ahead.

The French forward doubled the advantage soon afterwards when a deflected effort from teenage Spanish midfielder Dro Fernández turned into an inviting cross. Dembélé rose to head the ball beyond goalkeeper Dominik Takáč.

Dembélé was heavily involved again in PSG’s third goal.

The 29-year-old delivered an excellent cross into the area for Torres, who converted from close range in the 31st minute to give the hosts a 3-0 lead.

Torres, who joined PSG from Barcelona during the summer, then returned the favour by creating a chance for Dembélé to complete his own hat-trick. Takáč produced an impressive save, turning Dembélé’s attempt onto the underside of the crossbar.

PSG resumed the second half with the same ruthless intensity.

Torres scored his second goal of the evening just two minutes after the restart, taking a touch before firing a precise effort from the edge of the penalty area following a strong run from fellow summer arrival Maghnes Akliouche.

Nuno Mendes appeared to add another shortly afterwards, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Torres completed his hat-trick before the hour mark, guiding a Dembélé corner into the net with his knee to make it 5-0.

The performance was particularly significant for Torres, whose stock rose sharply after scoring the decisive goal for Spain in the 2026 World Cup final against Argentina in July.

The former Barcelona striker is among the nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with the latest Champions League display providing another memorable contribution to his growing reputation.

Slovan Bratislava eventually found a response through Gambian winger Suleiman Camara.

Camara produced an excellent strike to reduce the deficit and give the travelling supporters a brief moment of encouragement on an otherwise difficult evening.

PSG restored the five-goal advantage late in the match when Fabian Ruiz reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and prodded it home for the sixth goal.

The result was never seriously in doubt once PSG established their early advantage, reflecting the considerable difference in resources and European experience between the two sides.

For Luis Enrique, the victory offered an encouraging opening to another demanding Champions League campaign.

PSG are attempting to achieve something only one club has managed in the modern Champions League era: winning the competition three years in succession.

Real Madrid achieved the feat between 2016 and 2018. Ajax and Bayern Munich also won the European Cup three times consecutively, but those successes came before the competition was rebranded as the Champions League.

The scale of PSG’s ambition means that Wednesday’s victory is unlikely to be considered anything more than an opening statement.

The French champions face significantly tougher challenges later in the league phase, including an away trip to Manchester City and a home meeting with Barcelona in October.

Those fixtures will offer a much stronger indication of whether PSG can again compete successfully against Europe’s elite.

For Slovan, the night represented a difficult return to the competition.

The Slovak champions endured a winless league-phase campaign in their previous appearance two years ago, losing all eight matches.

The club are now managed by Yaya Touré, the former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder who has become the first African coach to lead a team in Europe’s elite club competition.

Touré’s side showed resilience after falling heavily behind and avoided completely collapsing in the second half, with Camara’s goal providing a small reward for their efforts.

The result, however, left Slovan facing another demanding campaign at the highest level of European club football.

For PSG, the message was considerably brighter.

Torres emerged as the night’s outstanding individual performer with three goals, while Dembélé’s two-goal display and creative influence demonstrated why the Ballon d’Or winner remains such an important figure in the champions’ attack.

The combination of experience, attacking depth and new summer additions gave PSG a formidable look as the club began its defence of the European crown.

The 6-1 scoreline may have been expected given the gulf between the teams, but the manner of the victory was nevertheless striking.

Also read: Ronaldo Scores 979th Career Goal as Al Nassr Beat Abha 2-1

PSG will now turn their attention to the more demanding stages of the Champions League campaign, where victories against Europe’s strongest clubs will determine whether Wednesday’s powerful opening can become the beginning of another historic European run.