Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 in a thrilling Champions League clash at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night. Late goals from Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz settled a game that swung back and forth for 80 minutes.
The win ends Barcelona’s 11-match winning run to start the season and keeps PSG perfect in the league phase, with three wins from three. PSG and Liverpool are now the only teams in the competition with a 100% record.
How the goals went in
- 38′ – Désiré Doué (1-0): Lamine Yamal lost the ball in his own half, and Doué danced past his marker before firing low into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
- 55′ – Xavi Espart (1-1): Barcelona hit back early in the second half. The young winger was played through, drove into the box and finished for only his second senior goal.
- 72′ – Lucas Hernández (2-1): The French defender rose to head in from a corner, a rare goal for him in a PSG shirt.
- 79′ – Lamine Yamal (2-2): The teenage star made up for his earlier mistake, stabbing home from a tight angle for his 10th goal of the season.
- 81′ – Vitinha (3-2): Just two minutes later, the Portuguese midfielder chested the ball down and drilled it in from the edge of the area.
- 86′ – Fabián Ruiz (4-2): The Spaniard finished from close range to seal the win and spark celebrations around the stadium.
Key stats
- Possession: Barcelona 54%, PSG 46%
- Shots: 20 each
- Shots on target: PSG 14, Barcelona 9
- Cards: Barcelona 1 yellow, PSG 0
PSG were more clinical, putting 14 of their 20 shots on target, and Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García was kept busy all night.
Injury worries for PSG
The victory came at a price. Ousmane Dembélé pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring problem and was replaced after only 20 minutes. Winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was also forced off injured. Both could now miss upcoming matches, which will worry the PSG camp.
Barcelona also lost Dani Olmo to injury during the game.
Yamal shines in defeat
Despite the loss, Lamine Yamal again showed why he is one of the most exciting players in world football. His goal was Barcelona’s 50th of the season, and he was a constant threat on the right. But PSG’s strength from the bench and their sharpness in the final 15 minutes made the difference.
What’s next
PSG are now in a strong position at the top of the league-phase table. They travel to Villarreal on November 3. Barcelona will look to bounce back quickly after their first defeat of the season.
Elsewhere on Tuesday night, Liverpool came from two goals down to beat Villarreal 4-3, Phil Foden scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 5-1 win over AEK Athens, and Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman came off the bench to set up Atlético Madrid’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Premium Times, match data.