Three superb individual goals from Désiré Doué, Lamine Yamal and Vitinha decided a breathless night at the Parc des Princes, where Champions League holders Paris St-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2.
PSG came out with their high-pressing game plan and forced Barcelona into mistakes almost at once. Doué and Ousmane Dembélé were then both denied by Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García after high turnovers. Barça had their own spells of rapid attacking, but Raphinha could only fire straight at Matvey Safonov after running on to a neat Anthony Gordon pass.
García had a busy end to the half, twice denying his former team-mate Ferran Torres, who had come on for the injured Dembélé. He could do nothing about Doué’s opener in the 38th minute, though. PSG intercepted a Barcelona ball out from defence, Doué drove to the edge of the box and rifled a low shot into the bottom-left corner. It was another big night for him after starring in PSG’s win over Manchester City last week. Minutes before the break, Fermín López was thwarted one-on-one by Safonov.
Barcelona levelled early in the second half. Teenage full-back Xavi Espart, 19, burst into the box and beat Safonov at his near post. Barça started to look the likelier winners, but moments after Torres hit the post following a quick counter, PSG defender Lucas Hernández planted a header past García from a corner.
Then came Yamal. Out of nothing, he turned Warren Zaïre-Emery, sprinted into the box and squeezed the ball between Safonov and the post to make it 2-2. Just as the momentum seemed to have swung Barcelona’s way, Vitinha controlled a clearance with his chest and launched a stunning volley into the bottom corner, less than two minutes later. Five minutes after that, Fabián Ruiz settled it, converting Achraf Hakimi’s low cross at the back post.
The win ends Barcelona’s 11-match unbeaten run at the start of their season. PSG have nine points and travel to Villarreal on Tuesday, 3 November (20:00 BST). Barcelona stay on six points and host Aston Villa at Camp Nou at the same time.
