Ferran Torres Shines as PSG Secures Narrow Win Against Brest

Paris Saint-Germain finally found some breathing space at home, and once again it was Ferran Torres who cut through the tension.

Five minutes. That was all he needed.

A sharp exchange between Joao Neves and Ousmane Dembele sliced open Brest, Torres timing his run and then sliding a low finish past the goalkeeper with the calm of a man who has already made this his stage. Six goals in his first five appearances for PSG: the numbers are starting to sound like a statement.

Luis Enrique could see the spark in his front line, even if the rest of the performance did not always match it.

“I really liked the connection between Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele,” he said, pleased with the fluency in the final third but not blinded by it. The coach’s verdict on the wider display was far less indulgent. “We got the three points so we’re happy, but we still need to improve. At times when we didn’t have the ball, the opposition caused us problems. We need to play with more authority.”

The warning was clear. The result was welcome. The performance, still a work in progress.

Dembele and Torres, reunited and dangerous

Dembele knows Torres as well as anyone in that dressing room. Their understanding has roots in Barcelona and it is resurfacing quickly in Paris.

“I played with him for a year and a half at Barcelona,” Dembele recalled after the game, the admiration obvious. “He’s a fantastic player and a brilliant number nine. He’s always right there whenever you need him.”

That last line felt like the essence of Torres’ start at PSG. Always there. Always available. Always finishing.

Dembele, though, was just as keen to talk about his own journey. No mythology, no superstar narrative, just grind.

“Like I said before, I was never ‘the chosen one’,” he insisted. “I’ve had to work incredibly hard. Last year, I was rewarded for it. This year? We’ll see, I’m relaxed. I’ve always been at the back of the class, working hard. Throughout my entire career, I never said a word. I just worked.”

On a night when PSG needed resilience as much as flair, that mindset mattered.

Hakimi blow tempers the mood

The win came at a cost. After 38 minutes, Achraf Hakimi pulled up with a muscle problem and had to leave the pitch, replaced by Fabian Ruiz. The shift forced PSG to adjust, and Brest sensed an opening.

The visitors grew bolder after the break. PSG, who had started with such authority in attack, suddenly found themselves pinned back for long spells, their early rhythm disrupted and their control slipping.

Kamory Doumbia led the charge. First he rattled the post with a fierce effort that had Matvey Safonov beaten. Later, he rose to meet a cross with a powerful header, only to see Safonov spring across his line and claw it away. Each chance cranked up the anxiety inside the stadium.

The pressure did not stop there. PSG thought they had finally killed the contest when Bradley Locko turned the ball into his own net, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul by Warren Zaire-Emery in the build-up. From relief to frustration in a heartbeat.

Brest kept coming. PSG, once again, had their goalkeeper to thank.

In the 88th minute, Pathe Mboup burst through with the equaliser at his feet. Safonov stood tall, read the finish and blocked, a decisive save that sealed the points and underlined his growing influence.

Torres’ goals, Dembele’s graft, Safonov’s late heroics. PSG have their match-winners. The question now is whether they can find the authority Luis Enrique keeps demanding before nights like this turn from narrow escapes into costly slips.