Akliouche sole blemish as PSG crushes Bratislava 6-1 in Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain opened their Champions League campaign with a crushing 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday evening at Parc des Princes. While the night was nearly perfect for the Parisians, analyst Laure Boulleau highlighted an insufficient performance from Maghnes Akliouche.

Recruited from FC Barcelona this summer, Ferran Torres made an impression on his European debut in PSG colours. The Spanish striker scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player in PSG history to score three goals in his very first Champions League match.

Ousmane Dembélé, who scored two goals and provided two assists, also shone. The French winger appears to have rediscovered his best form, just days after a public jab from his manager Luis Enrique that clearly had the desired effect.

The sole blemish of the evening according to Boulleau: Maghnes Akliouche’s performance. “Only Maghnes Akliouche missed the mark a little bit in his match,” she said. The analyst did, however, nuance her comments by recalling the slow start of Désiré Doué upon his arrival at the club: “I also remember Désiré Doué’s early days, we had to wait until January after his arrival. With Akliouche, I think it might take a little longer, but in any case, he is below the other PSG attackers.”

A harsh judgment not entirely shared by L’Équipe, which gave the attacking midfielder a rating of 7/10 for the same match.