Torres scores hat-trick as PSG begin title defence by thrashing Slovan Bratislava

[p]Les Parisiens started on the front foot, as would be expected of the two-time reigning champions, but the visitors showed a willingness to put their bodies on the line.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/takac-dominik/nwNNvupK/"]Dominik Takac[/a] spread himself brilliantly to deny Dro Fernández after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hakimi-achraf/MqFBkBsp/"]Achraf Hakimi[/a]’s pass had gone through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembélé[/a]’s legs, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bajric-kenan/Ayl3JBj7/"]Kenan Bajric[/a] blocked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruiz-fabian/l6HSH2Uo/"]Fabian Ruiz[/a]’s attempt.[/p][p][b]PSG eventually took the lead in the 17th minute, when Dembele reacted to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a]’ venomous strike hitting the post by providing a controlled finish.[/b][/p][p]Dembélé could have had another just seconds later but guided his dink wide, and he was to be involved yet again as there were two quickfire blows for the visitors.[/p][p][b]Moments after replacing the injured Bajrić, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camara-sahmkou/8UoWc3zo/"]Sahmkou Camara[/a] conceded possession and was punished with Dembélé heading in when Dro’s shot was deflected towards him. [/b][/p][p][b]PSG didn’t let up at all and scored their third on the half-hour mark, when Dembele turned provider with a pinpoint cross that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torres-ferran/AVAVLaLt/"]Ferran Torres[/a] poked home.[/b][/p][embed guid="241d4654-c9fd-45c9-84ed-6487ed352fbe" url="https://x.com/PSG_English/status/2097791006674395275" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Ballon d’Or holder will have been in disbelief that he hadn’t completed a hat-trick by half-time, having one shot remarkably kept out by Takac and the crossbar before sending another agonisingly wide.[/p][p][b]It took just 65 seconds for PSG and Torres to add another to their tally after the restart, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akliouche-maghnes/0UP6MLGJ/"]Maghnes[/a] Akliouce gliding forward and offloading the ball to the Spaniard, who took a composed touch and beautifully picked out the top corner.[/b][/p][p][b]Moments later, Mendes had a goal disallowed; PSG had their fifth of the night shortly after, and Torres won the race to score a hat-trick by turning the ball in from Dembélé’s corner. [/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camara-suleiman/vwj8fVTt/"]Suleiman Camara[/a] had refused to give up all night, though, and he burst past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zabarnyi-illia/8SehvaqF/"]Illia Zabarnyi[/a] before smashing his shot inside the far post.[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="e785d27b-c7c3-424f-83ff-4cb008126419" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="df5987d2-4d4a-40af-a164-c5f8d7c9a326" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]After Luis Enrique had made a flurry of changes with the game wrapped up, Fabian Ruiz added a late goal of his own as PSG recovered from their four-game winless start domestically to start their quest to become just the fifth side ever to win three European Cup/UCL titles in a row with an emphatic victory. [/b][/p][p]Meanwhile, despite the big loss, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-yaya/v1SiJzyM/"]Yaya Touré[/a] made history by becoming the first African manager in the UCL proper, and his side’s biggest challenge on paper is now out of the way.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/psg-CjhkPw0k/slovan-bratislava-QRaWdwQf/?mid=vRfGDXa4"]Take a look at the match summary here[/a][/b].[/p]