Paris Saint-Germain ended Barcelona’s perfect start to the season with a 4-2 Champions League win at the Parc des Princes, according to ESPN. PSG twice surrendered leads only to pull away late as Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz struck in the closing stages to seal the victory.
Désiré Doué and Lucas Hernández put PSG ahead during a back-and-forth contest, and Barcelona responded with equalisers from Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal. Yamal’s effort came in the 79th minute, but Vitinha restored PSG’s lead in the 81st and Fabián Ruiz added a fourth five minutes later.
Barcelona entered the match having won all 11 of their games in all competitions this season, but the LaLiga champions saw that streak end in Paris. Joan García faced 22 PSG shots and made 10 saves, while Barça were without Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen in defence, according to ESPN.
The result reinforced PSG’s standing at the top of European club football: the club is the back-to-back Champions League winner and is aiming for a third successive title this season. ESPN described the win as a statement performance by PSG, who again found another gear late in a major European fixture.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had called the trip to Paris a “huge opportunity” to show how much his side has closed the gap on Europe’s elite. Despite the defeat, ESPN noted Barcelona showed they can compete with PSG and remain a genuine threat in the Champions League.
Barça now turn their attention to El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday, a fixture highlighted by ESPN as the next test for the LaLiga champions following their first loss of the campaign.
