Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, ending the Catalan side’s 11-match winning streak in all competitions in an entertaining UEFA Champions League league-phase encounter.
Désiré Doué, Lucas Hernandez, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz scored for the reigning champions, while Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal found the net for Barcelona in a six-goal contest.
PSG started aggressively, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hitting the post inside the opening two minutes before Ousmane Dembélé and Doué tested Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García.
However, the hosts suffered an early setback when Dembélé was forced off after 20 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury. Ferran Torres replaced him, while Barcelona also lost Dani Olmo to injury in the first half.
PSG broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after Yamal lost possession in his own half. João Neves headed the ball into Doué’s path, and the forward showcased his footwork before firing past García from just outside the penalty area.
Barcelona responded 10 minutes into the second half when Fermín López released Espart, who drove into the box and calmly finished in the 55th minute to level the score.
PSG regained the lead in the 72nd minute when Hernandez rose highest to meet Doué’s corner, directing a powerful header into the top-right corner.
Hernandez, who was brought into the starting line-up in the absence of regular left-back Nuno Mendes, scored his third goal for PSG in more than 100 appearances and his first since February 2024.
Barcelona drew level again in the 79th minute through Yamal, who capitalised on a defensive error by Warren Zaïre-Emery after Hernandez had been substituted. The teenager raced forward and beat Matvey Safonov with a close-range finish to make it 2-2.
The hosts responded almost immediately, with Vitinha restoring their advantage in the 81st minute. The midfielder controlled the ball on his chest before unleashing a superb long-range strike from just outside the penalty area.
Ruiz sealed the victory in the 86th minute, finishing into an unguarded net after Achraf Hakimi supplied the decisive pass.
The victory extended PSG’s winning run to seven matches across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, reinforcing their position among the contenders for the European title.
Barcelona, meanwhile, saw their 11-match winning streak come to an end, although the defeat is not expected to significantly damage their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
Despite the loss, Yamal’s goal marked Barcelona’s 50th of the season across all competitions, highlighting their attacking threat.
Both teams also faced injury concerns, with PSG losing Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia during the encounter, while Barcelona were forced to replace Olmo.
The fixture marked the sides’ 14th Champions League meeting in the last 13 years.
Barcelona will now turn their attention to Sunday’s El Clásico against Real Madrid, with victory potentially putting them nine points clear of their fierce rivals in La Liga.
