Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, with late goals from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz securing a thrilling victory for the French champions in the UEFA Champions League.
The encounter saw both sides exchange goals before Vitinha restored PSG’s lead in the 81st minute, chesting down the ball before firing into the net from the edge of the penalty area.
Ruiz added the fourth goal shortly afterwards to seal the victory and maintain PSG’s perfect start to their Champions League campaign, having recorded three wins from three matches.
Desire Doue opened the scoring for the hosts in the 38th minute after capitalising on a misplaced pass from Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. The Frenchman displayed impressive footwork before driving a low shot into the bottom corner.
Barcelona responded shortly after half-time when teenager Xavi Espart collected a pass from Fermin Lopez, drove into the penalty area and scored his second senior goal to level the contest.
PSG regained the lead when Lucas Hernandez headed home from a corner, marking only his third goal for the club in more than 100 appearances.
However, Barcelona refused to surrender, with Yamal restoring parity after Warren Zaire-Emery misjudged a high ball, allowing the young forward to race through and score his 10th goal of the campaign.
Vitinha’s decisive strike eventually broke Barcelona’s resistance before Ruiz completed the scoring from close range, handing PSG an impressive victory over one of their major European rivals.
The result ended Barcelona’s run of 11 consecutive victories in all competitions at the start of the season, although their attacking form remained evident, with Yamal’s goal taking their season tally to 50.
PSG, meanwhile, extended their winning streak to seven matches across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, strengthening their position as contenders for the European title.
Despite the victory, the hosts suffered injury setbacks, with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both forced off during the encounter. Dembele, last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, was substituted after 20 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury, while the severity of Kvaratskhelia’s problem remained unclear.
Doue was among PSG’s standout performers, delivering an influential display as Luis Enrique’s side demonstrated their attacking quality.
Barcelona also experienced injury concerns, with Dani Olmo forced off during the first half. Rodri later came on as the Catalan side attempted to regain control of the contest.
The match was the 14th Champions League meeting between the two clubs in 13 years, adding another chapter to their European rivalry.
Despite the defeat, Barcelona’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stages remain alive. Their attention now turns to Sunday’s La Liga clash against Real Madrid, where a victory could give them a significant advantage over their arch-rivals in the title race.
For PSG, the victory further underlined their credentials as serious contenders for European honours, although the injuries sustained by key attacking players could become a concern as the campaign progresses.
