PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 with late goals from Vitinha and Ruiz

Holders Paris Saint-Germain made it three wins from three in this season’s Champions League, beating Barcelona 4-2 with late goals from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz on Tuesday, while Liverpool staged a dramatic comeback against Villarreal.

Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed AEK Athens 5-1, The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP. Roma and Napoli also picked up much-needed wins.

PSG 4 Barcelona 2

PSG stayed top of the league-phase table, but may pay for injuries to Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes. Barcelona, who had won their previous 11 games in all competitions, slipped to their first defeat of the season.

• 38th minute: Desire Doue thumped a shot into the bottom corner from outside the area
• Equaliser: Xavi Espart burst through to level against the run of play after the break
• 72nd minute: Lucas Hernandez restored the lead with a brilliant header
• 79th minute: Lamine Yamal powered past Warren Zaire-Emery to equalise again
• 81st minute: Vitinha hammered home from outside the box, and Ruiz’s tap-in sealed a second straight 4-2 Champions League win for Luis Enrique’s side

“We don’t feel superior to any team but we trust in ourselves,” Ruiz said. Barca coach Hansi Flick said: “We tried to play how we want to play, we pressed them very high.”

Liverpool 4 Villarreal 3

Liverpool fell 2-0 behind inside 30 minutes. Georges Mikautadze pounced on a Virgil van Dijk error after four minutes, and Sergi Cardona added a second.

Alexis Mac Allister headed in a Kostas Tsimikas corner, and Ronald Araujo levelled in first-half added time from Rio Ngumoha’s cross. Mac Allister fired in Ngumoha’s low cross 25 minutes from time, and half-time substitute Florian Wirtz scored his first goal of the season. Tani Oluwaseyi set up a nervy finish, but Liverpool held on to join PSG on nine points.

“He was amazing tonight,” Mac Allister said of the 18-year-old Ngumoha. “He made the difference.” Manager Andoni Iraola, who rested Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Wirtz ahead of Sunday’s visit of Brighton, warned: “We are facing very good teams. It’s good to come back but we’ve started losing too many goals this season. You cannot relax.”

Manchester City 5 AEK Athens 1

Foden, who had not scored for 10 months before Saturday’s win against Ipswich, completed a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium after Elliot Anderson’s opener, his first goal since joining from Nottingham Forest. Rayan Cherki also scored, while Stavros Pilios replied for AEK.

City, playing without the injured Erling Haaland, have won 10 of their 11 games in all competitions. Their future remains uncertain as they appeal against a verdict that they broke Premier League financial rules more than 100 times.

Why it matters

PSG and Liverpool are setting the pace in the league phase, while Foden’s revival gives City another reason for optimism on the pitch, whatever happens off it. Read our report on Tottenham’s first league win.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune and AFP.