Double Strike in the Closing Stages

LIVE: Yamal! Barcelona ties the game again in Paris

Lucas Hernandez(Bild: AP/Teresa Suarez)

Paris St. Germain remains unstoppable in the new Champions League season. The winner of the last two editions clinched a 4-2 victory over FC Barcelona in Tuesday’s blockbuster match and remains undefeated after the third match of the group stage.

Goals by Desire Doue (38'), Lucas Hernandez (72'), Vitinha (81'), and Fabian Ruiz (87') handed Barcelona its first competitive loss of the season.

(Bild: AFP/FRANCK FIFE)

Paris came out of the gates like a house on fire at the Parc des Princes, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hitting the post right away (2'). After that, it was Barça’s turn for a while, but Dani Olmo (14th min.), Raphinha (20th min.), and Lamine Yamal (22nd min.) all missed their chances. With that, the Catalans had run out of steam for the time being. Ferran Torres, who had come on just 20 minutes in to replace Ousmane Dembélé—who had been forced off due to a muscle injury in his left hamstring—was denied by Barça goalkeeper Joan García, who made a save with his face (25th minute).

The former Barça striker was denied once again by the Barça goalkeeper, as was Ruiz shortly afterward (29th minute). A goal seemed imminent and finally came in the 38th minute.

Of all players, it was Yamal who lost the ball to Joao Neves with a careless chip at the edge of the box. Neves headed it to Doue, who was left unmarked and fired it in from the edge of the box. Matwei Safonov prevented an immediate equalizer in a one-on-one with Fermin Lopez, who also failed to put the rebound into the net (40th minute). Lopez had come on early as a substitute after Olmo left the field injured. For PSG, Kvaratskhelia (45th) and Achraf Hakimi (45’+3) squandered chances to make it 2–0 before halftime.

(Bild: AP/Teresa Suarez)

Safonov was beaten at the near post
It was Hakimi, too, who lacked the composure to finish after the break (51'). That came back to haunt them for the time being. Fermin Lopez played a pass into the path of Espart, who beat Safonov with a shot into the near corner that wasn’t unstoppable. However, little changed in the flow of the game. Spurred on by the home crowd, PSG continued to dictate the pace and press forward. Torres was unlucky when his shot off a cross from Hakimi hit the post (71'). Shortly afterward, Hernandez scored with a powerful header off a corner kick by Doue.

  It marked the start of a frantic spell. Yamal outran the recently substituted Warren Zaire-Emery and surprised Safonov with a high shot into the near corner. But the joy of the equalizer quickly faded as Vitinha scored from 17 meters out. Ruiz sealed the deal from point-blank range. With this victory, PSG—where Kvaratskhelia had also left the field injured—defeated another “top-tier” opponent after Man City (4–2). With 13 consecutive unbeaten matches in the “Champions League,” the French side matched a club record set during the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons. For PSG, it was their seventh consecutive competitive victory and their third straight win against Barcelona.

(Bild: AFP/FRANCK FIFE)

Flick Still Has to Wait for His 100th Win
For the Spaniards, this marked their first setback after 11 consecutive competitive wins. Hansi Flick will have to wait a little longer for his 100th win as Barça’s coach and will have his next chance on Sunday in the La Liga Clásico against Real Madrid. For Liverpool, Alexis MacAllister (36’, 65’), Ronald Araujo (45’+2), and Florian Wirtz (69’). Even without superstar Erling Haaland, Man City steamrolled LASK-beaters AEK, thanks in part to Phil Foden’s hat trick (34’, 65’, 76’).