Paris Saint-Germain extended their flawless start to the
Luis Enrique’s side secured the result through late strikes from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, breaking a deadlock that had seen Barcelona twice fight back to level the scores. Despite the win, PSG faces concerns over the fitness of Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, all of whom were forced off with injuries during the match.
Late Drama and European Results
The match began at a frantic pace, with Kvaratskhelia hitting the post and Dembele departing early due to injury. Desire Doue eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute with a powerful strike from outside the area. Although Xavi Espart equalized for the visitors after the break, Lucas Hernandez restored PSG’s lead with a header in the 72nd minute. Lamine Yamal responded for Barcelona shortly after, but Vitinha’s long-range effort and a late tap-in from Ruiz ultimately sealed the points for the French side.
Elsewhere, Liverpool maintained their own 100-percent record in a chaotic 4-3 victory over Villarreal at Anfield. The Reds recovered from a disastrous start that saw them trail by two goals within the opening stages following an error from Virgil van Dijk and a strike from Sergi Cardona. Alexis Mac Allister sparked the comeback with a header before Ronald Araujo leveled the score before the interval. Mac Allister added his second after the break, and Florian Wirtz extended the lead, ensuring Liverpool survived a late push from the visitors.
Manchester City enjoyed a more comfortable evening, thrashing AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Phil Foden starred with a hat-trick, while Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also found the net. The victory provided a boost for Pep Guardiola’s side, who rested Erling Haaland following a minor knock.
Italian clubs found much-needed relief after a difficult previous round. Roma secured their first Champions League win since 2019 with a dominant 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava. Meanwhile, Napoli edged out Bodo/Glimt in a 4-3 thriller, highlighted by a brace from Scott McTominay. In other fixtures, Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 with Stuttgart despite being reduced to ten men, Borussia Dortmund broke a four-game away losing streak by defeating Sabah 2-1, and PSV Eindhoven claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Porto.
