Ousmane Dembele makes feelings on Kylian Mbappe clear with Champions League final promise

Ousmane Dembele is enjoying the season of his career after becoming PSG’s talisman and is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or, having enjoyed a stunning campaign – now the Champions League trophy is in his sights

PSG striker Ousmane Dembele is aiming to drive Inter Milan crazy as he looks to produce a Champions League final masterclass that could land him the Ballon d’Or. Dembele has been a revelation since boss Luis Enrique moved him into a central striking role, scoring 25 goals in his last 27 games for the Ligue One champions and French Cup winners as they close in on a place in history.

The 28-year-old has replaced Kylian Mbappe as the Parisian talisman – and revealed that he just loves being the king of chaos when he comes up against opposition defenders.

Dembele can now put himself in the frame to win the Ballon d’Or by leading PSG to their first-ever Champions League triumph – and a Treble. He said: “When you’re a PSG player it’s about taking home the silverware for the team. The Ballon d’Or is maybe at the back of my mind but I am focusing on the team.

“I don’t know what would have happened if Kylian had stayed here. He had a dream of playing for Real Madrid and now we’re just focusing on ourselves.

“When I first met Luis I knew that he trusted me and would put his faith in me as a No 9. I have adapted well to this position because it gives me freedom to move left and right.

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“It’s about creating uncertainty for the opponent. It’s about driving them crazy – and it’s a position I love playing. We know there’s a lot of excitement in Paris but we need to be cool, calm and collected.

“I am serious on the outside but inside I am smiling. I think that is the key in this game. This has been a dream of mine since I was a child. It will be an unforgettable moment and I want to focus on the team and not just on me. I just hope that tomorrow will be history in the making.

“We know Paris will be vibrating with excitement but we have to control our emotions.”

Paris have grown as a team since losing the individual brilliance of Mbappe and Neymar. They thrashed Manchester City in the group stages before eliminating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal during the knock-out stages.

Boss Enrique, who 10 years ago led Barcelona to the Champions League in Germany when they beat Juventus in Berlin, said: “If you think of the level of Premier teams this season you see that they have won the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.

“It was really tough for us to play so many English teams this year, but we just played our football. We always have a plan and an idea – and we will see that in the final.

“The motivation for me is to win the Champions League for the first time for PSG. That’s the gift I want to give to the city, to be the first.”

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