Paris, Oct 22:
Paris Saint-Germain ended Barcelona’s 11-match winning run with a thrilling 4-2 victory in the Champions League, while Liverpool produced a stirring comeback to beat Villarreal 4-3 on Tuesday.
Barcelona appeared to have regained control when Lamine Yamal displayed his trademark skill to bring the scores level at 2-2. However, PSG responded through Vitinha before Fabian Ruiz added another goal to complete an impressive win for the defending champions.
DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ© and Lucas Hernandez also scored for PSG, while Xavi Espart was among Barcelona’s scorers. Four goals were scored in the final 20 minutes, making it a dramatic contest and a significant result in the race for the top positions in the league phase.
PSG’s victory extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 13 matches, equalling a club record. However, injuries to Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ© and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia took some of the shine off the result, with the club facing uncertainty over the availability of two key attacking players.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged that his side had made too many mistakes in possession and lost the ball too easily. Barcelona will now look to recover quickly ahead of its Clasico against Real Madrid.
Liverpool came from 2-0 behind to defeat Villarreal 4-3, with Alexis Mac Allister playing a decisive role in the turnaround. The comeback was also shaped by 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who helped create opportunities for Ronald Araujo, Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool’s early defensive errors allowed Villarreal to take control, with captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledging his mistake after a misplaced header contributed to the opening goal by Georges Mikautadze.
The victory kept Liverpool among the teams with three wins in the competition, alongside PSG.