Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in a Champions League thriller at Parc des Princes on Tuesday, ending the Catalan side’s perfect start to the season.
Désiré Doué opened the scoring for PSG in the 38th minute, capitalizing on a Lamine Yamal error before firing low into the corner. Barcelona equalized in the 55th minute through Xavi Espart, who finished a swift move after being released by Fermin Lopez. Lucas Hernandez restored PSG’s lead in the 72nd minute with a header from a corner, but Yamal responded seven minutes later with a solo effort, beating Warren Zaire-Emery before slotting past Matvey Safonov.
Vitinha put PSG back ahead in the 81st minute with a precise strike from outside the box, and Fabian Ruiz sealed the win in the 86th minute, converting Achraf Hakimi’s cross at the back post. The victory marked PSG’s third consecutive win in this season’s Champions League, maintaining their perfect record in the competition.
The match took a physical toll on PSG, with Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Marquinhos all forced off due to injuries. Barcelona’s Dani Olmo also left the field injured in the first half. Despite the setbacks, PSG controlled much of the game, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia making several key saves to keep Barcelona in contention before the late flurry of goals.
Barcelona, who had won all 11 of their previous matches this season, suffered their first defeat of the campaign. The loss does not significantly dent their prospects in the competition, but it ends their unbeaten run across all competitions. PSG, the reigning champions, now sit atop the early Champions League standings with nine points from three matches.
