Paris Saint-Germain produced a ruthless performance at Parc des Princes to end Barcelona's perfect start to the season, beating the visitors 4-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday and showing why PSG are still the best club side in the world.
PSG, aiming to win a third successive Champions League this season, saw Barca twice come back and cancel out leads from goals by Désiré Doué and Lucas Hernández with their equalisers from Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal. Barcelona went into the game having won all 11 games played so far this season, but despite Yamal's stunning 79th minute equaliser, the La Liga champions couldn't stop Luis Enrique's side in Paris. An 81st minute Vitinha strike restored PSG's lead for a third and final time, and Fabián Ruiz made the game safe with the fourth goal five minutes later.
PSG and Barcelona went into this game as the two best club teams in the world, and something had to give in Paris. Ultimately it was Barcelona's winning streak. After a thrilling back and forth, PSG showed Hansi Flick's Barcelona what it takes to be the No. 1. But Barca played their part in an incredible game and made PSG look human for 80 minutes, while Yamal showed he can beat the best on his own.
Barcelona face their first true test of the season. Flick had called the match a huge opportunity to show how much they have closed the gap on Europe's elite. They conceded 22 shots, with goalkeeper Joan García making 10 saves, and were missing Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen. Barca's winning run ends, and they showed they are a worthy rival, but PSG remain the gold standard. Next up for Barcelona is El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing