PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 with late goals from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz. Barcelona’s 11-game winning run also ended.
PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes, scoring twice in the last 10 minutes to end the visitors’ 11-game winning run. Vitinha struck in the 81st minute and Fabian Ruiz added a close-range finish in the 86th after Achraf Hakimi’s cross. The result gave PSG, the two-time defending champions, nine points from three Champions League league-phase matches, and left them at the top of the table. Barcelona have six points.
Desire Doue opened the scoring in the 38th minute after Joao Neves cut out a pass from Lamine Yamal, and the forward curled a shot past goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Barcelona equalized in the 55th minute when 19-year-old right back Xavi Espart scored on his first Champions League goal. Lucas Hernandez restored PSG’s lead in the 72nd minute. Yamal leveled again in the 79th minute with a solo goal, collecting a loose ball and beating substitute Warren Zaire-Emery to stab it inside the post.
PSG took 20 shots, 14 on target, to Barcelona’s 20 and nine, despite having 46% of possession, according to match data. Ousmane Dembele, the Ballon d’Or holder, went off injured early in the match, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Marquinhos also left with injuries. The clubs have not said how serious the injuries are or how long the players will be out. Barcelona’s Dani Olmo also went off in the first half.
The win extended PSG’s unbeaten run in the competition to 13 matches and followed a 4-2 win at Manchester City last week. Opta noted that Barcelona started four teenagers in the Champions League for the first time. It also said the 63 goals scored across PSG-Barcelona meetings make it the second-highest scoring fixture in the competition’s history. Yamal, 19, has scored 10 of Barcelona’s 50 goals in 12 games this season. PSG play at Villarreal on Nov. 3.
Aurax News compiled this report from information provided by the Associated Press, NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, Opta and Sportradar match data.