Paris Saint-Germain converted a 3–1 win against Strasbourg on Saturday, October 18, 2026, during the seventh round of Ligue 1. Trailing at halftime after a sluggish opening half in Strasbourg, the club overturned the deficit in the final quarter-hour through goals from Illia Zabarnyi in the 77th minute, Dembélé in the 85th minute, and Désiré Doué in the 90e+3 minute.

Dembélé Flanks From the Spot Before Rebounding in Strasbourg

Before breaking the deadlock, Paris missed a prime opportunity to score when Dembélé dragged his right-footed penalty wide of the target. The forward quickly atoned for the miss, contributing a decisive assist and a late goal to secure the three points.

Dembélé is now the third element of the capital to fail from the penalty spot this season across all competitions, following misses by Désiré Doué against Le Mans and Ferran Torres at Manchester. The recurring struggles have cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the club’s dead-ball execution ahead of a UEFA Champions League fixture against FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.

Conversion Rates Highlight a Persistent Trend

Since the start of the previous campaign, Paris players have squandered nine of their 19 penalty attempts. Looking back slightly further, the club has missed 13 out of 24 penalties since March 2025.

That return yields a success rate of 53%, lagging far behind the professional football average of approximately 75%. Paradoxically, the team remains remarkably resilient in penalty shootouts following regulation draws, winning their last five encounters—including the Champions League final against Arsenal in Budapest in May.

Luis Enrique Dismisses Penalty Concerns After the Final Whistle

Luis Enrique offered public backing to Dembélé after the match, praising the player’s impact while acknowledging his frustration over the missed kick. I told him: ‘If you play 25 minutes to give an assist and score a goal, you don’t need to play more. It’s sufficient,’ Luis Enrique said. He was annoyed because he missed the penalty.

The victory keeps Paris as the squad prepares for its European showdown against Barcelona.