Paris Saint-Germain maintained their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 with a thrilling 5-2 victory over Brest at the Stade Francis Le Ble.
Ousmane Dembele continued his red-hot form, netting his second hat trick in as many games, while Goncalo Ramos came off the bench to add a late brace.
However, the visitors had to weather a determined fightback from Brest in the second half before sealing all three points.
The match started at a frenetic pace, with PSG nearly breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute.
Dembele found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but saw his effort saved.
Brest immediately responded with a dangerous counterattack, as Abdallah Sima attempted to set up a teammate, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to stretch out a hand and deny the opportunity.
The early exchanges were packed with chances, and new PSG signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came close, only to hit the side netting when he should have done better. With both teams creating openings, it felt like a goal was imminent.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Bradley Barcola showed selflessness in front of goal.
Instead of taking the shot himself, he squared the ball for Dembele, who had the simplest of tasks—tapping into an open net.
Despite dominating the first half, PSG only had one goal to show for their efforts, leaving Brest with hope heading into the second period.
That hope was rewarded just five minutes after the restart. A poor clearance from Willian Pacho fell perfectly for Brest forward Romain Del Castillo, who curled a brilliant shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, bringing the home crowd to life.
Sensing an opportunity, Brest pressed forward, forcing PSG to defend against several dangerous attacks.
But just when the hosts looked like they were gaining control, they were silenced again in the 57th minute.
Kvaratskhelia’s shot was parried, and Dembele reacted quickest to slot home the rebound for his second of the night.
The French winger didn’t stop there. Five minutes later, he completed his hat trick, his second in four days, after a clever assist from Lee Kang-in.
With the score at 3-1, PSG seemed to be cruising, but Brest refused to go down without a fight.
Ludovic Ajorque kept the contest alive in the final 20 minutes with a well-taken finish to cut the deficit to one goal.
Brest nearly equalized when Mahdi Camara sent a header narrowly wide from a corner, causing a moment of panic for PSG.
But Luis Enrique’s side put the game to bed in the 89th minute. Desire Doue provided a perfect cross for Ramos, who made no mistake from close range.
The Portuguese striker acknowledged Doue’s contribution, gesturing for the crowd to applaud his teammate’s assist.
Ramos then added a second deep into stoppage time, sealing a commanding 5-2 win for the visitors. PSG now shifts focus to the French Cup, where they will take on Le Mans in the Round of 16 on February 4.
