Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in the Champions League league phase, according to LiveScore, scoring twice in the closing minutes after Lamine Yamal had pulled Barcelona level. Vitinha put PSG back in front in the 81st minute with a strike from just outside the penalty area, and Fabian Ruiz sealed the win shortly before the final whistle.
The result keeps the defending champions top of the league phase on goal difference, LiveScore reports.
Why it matters
PSG won while losing two of their most dangerous attackers during the match. Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both came off injured, per LiveScore, yet Luis Enrique's team still created enough to beat one of Europe's strongest sides. For a squad with deep ambitions in this competition, winning without two first-choice forwards is a meaningful sign of strength.
The victory also came against a Barcelona team that twice found equalisers. PSG had to re-take the lead three times in effect — opening the scoring, restoring the advantage after Xavi Espart's equaliser, and then responding again after Yamal's late goal. Holding off a side that keeps coming back is a different test from a comfortable win, and PSG passed it.
How the six goals unfolded
Desire Doue gave PSG the lead in the first half. Barcelona waited until 10 minutes after the interval to respond, with Xavi Espart levelling the score.
Lucas Hernandez put PSG ahead again in the 72nd minute. That lead lasted only until Yamal struck late, briefly raising the prospect of Barcelona taking a point from the French capital.
The hope did not last. Vitinha's finish from outside the box restored PSG's advantage in the 81st minute, and Ruiz made the game safe just before the end. LiveScore described Barcelona's defending as fragile as the two late goals went in.
Injury concerns for Luis Enrique
The win came at a cost. Dembele and Kvaratskhelia both limped off during the contest, according to LiveScore, leaving PSG to finish the match without either player.
How serious those injuries are has not been reported. Their availability for upcoming fixtures will be a central question for Luis Enrique, whose attacking options are now uncertain. PSG's depth was tested on Tuesday and held, but a longer absence for either forward would change the picture.
For Barcelona, the defeat leaves them with defensive questions to answer. Conceding four goals away from home, including two in the final 10 minutes, is the kind of performance that will draw scrutiny.
Next up, PSG will monitor the fitness of Dembele and Kvaratskhelia, while both clubs continue their league phase campaigns.
