From SI · · 2m
PSG Ends Barcelona's Perfect Season with 4-2 Thriller
PSG beats Barcelona 4-2 in Champions League thriller, ending Barça's perfect season.
In brief
PSG beats Barcelona 4-2 in Champions League thriller, ending Barça's perfect season. PSG ends Barcelona's perfect season with a 4-2 Champions League win. Originally reported by SI.
Match Result
Paris Saint-Germain handed Barcelona their first defeat of the season with a brilliant 4-2 win.
Game Flow
Barcelona and PSG traded blows in an end-to-end affair from the start, with PSG creating more dangerous chances in the first half.
First Goal
Désiré Doué scored a perfectly placed shot from the edge of the box 38 minutes in following a dreadful Lamine Yamal turnover.
Second Half Action
Xavi Espart equalized for an improved Barça 10 minutes after the restart before Lucas Hernández restored PSG’s lead with a powerful header 72 minutes in.
Third Goal
Vitinha scored a wonderful goal just two minutes later after Barcelona seemed to complete their comeback.
Fourth Goal
Fabián Ruiz buried the nail in Barcelona’s coffin by strolling behind João Cancelo at the back post to tap-in an Achraf Hakimi cross.
Winners
Désiré Doué was unplayable against Barcelona, scoring a stellar opener and assisting his team’s second.
Midfield Trio
PSG’s dominant midfield trio of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz showcased why it’s considered the best in the world.
Xavi Espart
Xavi Espart delivered a brilliant performance on the biggest stage of his young career, scoring his maiden Champions League goal.
Losers
João Cancelo had a night to forget, completely losing Ruiz in the action that sealed the result for PSG.
Barcelona Struggles
Both Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi offered next to nothing on Tuesday, with Ferran Torres missing three clear chances.
Injuries
PSG’s trio of Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia exited the pitch with injuries.
PSG Player Ratings
Vitinha won the game for PSG with a rocket of a hit, scoring a fantastic winner after Yamal’s equalizer.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Xavi Espart played his best game as a professional, getting the better of Kvaratskhelia down the right flank.
Key Statistics
PSG had 15 shots on goal compared to Barcelona’s five, with Barcelona failing to score a first half goal.
What the Ratings Tell Us
PSG will be forced to dig deep and exploit their deep squad given Dembélé, Marquinhos and Kvaratskhelia will miss time.
The bottom line
PSG ends Barcelona's perfect season with a 4-2 Champions League win.
