Paris Saint-Germain extended their impressive winning streak to seven matches across all competitions, defeating rivals Barcelona 4-2 at the Parc des Princes in a high-stakes Champions League clash on Tuesday. The result keeps the reigning champions on track in their pursuit of a third consecutive European title.
The match remained finely balanced at 2-2 until the 81st minute, when Portuguese playmaker Vitinha, who finished third in the previous Ballon d’Or standings, chest-controlled a pass outside the box and fired home a decisive goal. Fabian Ruiz subsequently added a fourth for the hosts from close range, sealing the victory and ensuring PSG secured their third straight win in this season’s competition. PSG had the last laugh, though, as they reminded their opponents that they remain the team to beat in Europe this season, with Vitinha making it 3-2 before Ruiz sealed the win from close range.
The evening was marked by significant injury concerns for the French side. Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, was substituted after only 20 minutes with a hamstring injury, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also left the pitch with an injury. Despite these absences, PSG maintained intensity, having nearly opened the scoring within 90 seconds when Kvaratskhelia struck the post. PSG, meanwhile, have now won seven games in a row between Ligue 1 and Champions League, but they lost both Ousmane Dembele – last year’s Ballon d’Or winner – and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury on the night. Fresh from winning 4-2 at Manchester City last week, PSG almost scored inside 90 seconds as Kvaratskhelia hit the post, but they were dealt a blow as Dembele came off after just 20 minutes, pulling up with a hamstring injury.
PSG eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Desire Doue capitalized on a defensive error by Lamine Yamal in his own half, maneuvering past defenders to score his first goal for the club since February 2024. The strike was only his third in over 100 appearances.
Barcelona, who arrived in Paris on the back of an 11-game winning streak across all competitions, responded early in the second half. They had travelled to France on a run of 11 consecutive wins at the start of the season in all competitions.
Fermin Lopez set up teenager Xavi Espart, who drove into the penalty area to record his second senior goal. Following a spell of chaotic end-to-end play, Lucas Hernandez put PSG ahead again with a header from a corner, marking his first goal for the club since February 2024. This effort capped a strong defensive display by Hernandez, who had been tasked with marking Yamal in the absence of Nuno Mendes.
The Catalan side found their second equalizer shortly after when Warren Zaire-Emery, who had replaced Hernandez, failed to control a high ball, allowing Yamal to pounce and record his 10th goal of the campaign. That goal marked Barcelona’s 50th of the season. Who is hoping to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, stabbed in Barcelona’s second equaliser on the night, it had briefly looked as though Barcelona would leave the French capital with a point when Lamine Yamal.
While the defeat is a setback, it is unlikely to severely hamper Barcelona’s prospects of progressing in the Champions League. The club has a pivotal La Liga match against Real Madrid this coming Sunday, where a win would extend their lead over their rivals to nine points. This upcoming fixture influenced squad selection, as evidenced by 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri beginning the match on the bench. Albeit not one that is likely to seriously hurt their prospects of advancing further in Europe’s elite club competition, the defeat is a setback for Barcelona.
The contest, the 14th meeting between these two sides in the Champions League over the past 13 years, also saw Ferran Torres join the action for Barcelona, replacing the injured Dani Olmo, while Raphinha returned to the starting lineup. Luis Enrique’s team remains in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages, confirming their status as a primary contender in Europe this season. Although Doue was the real star of the show here and Luis Enrique’s team are well set to comfortably reach the knockout phase at this rate, it remains to be seen how seriously hurt those two attackers are.
