6 goals, 4 injuries: PSG outscore Barca in frenetic Champions League clash

Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 in a frenetic UEFA Champions League clash at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, October 21. The match had everything attacking football at the highest level could offer, with the two teams combining for 40 shots in an end-to-end contest.Desire Doue was the standout performer as PSG outscored Hansi Flick's Barcelona in a game that swung from one end to the other. Barcelona looked breathtaking in spells, but struggled to sustain their dominance against a versatile PSG side that punished their mistakes.The high-intensity encounter also took a physical toll, with four players forced off with injuries. PSG's Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos suffered hamstring injuries in the first and second halves respectively. Barcelona's Dani Olmo was substituted in the first half after an awkward fall following a strong shoulder challenge in midfield. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also had to come off in the second half after picking up an ankle injury in a tussle with Barcelona right-back Xavi Espart. Courtesy: Reuters Both teams created chances in an entertaining first half, but Barcelona's poor final passes let them down in the opening stages. PSG, meanwhile, had more attempts on goal, including several from close range, but a brave Joan Garcia produced multiple saves to keep Barcelona in the contest. Barcelona repeatedly cut through PSG's defence with their slick passing, with Pedri pulling the strings in midfield. However, the movement in the final third between Anthony Gordon, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal lacked the finishing touch. Gordon endured a particularly difficult outing, struggling to get past defenders, convert chances or provide the incisive passes Barcelona needed.The deadlock was finally broken late in the first half when Doue cut inside onto his right foot and fired a low shot between two Barcelona defenders. Garcia, who had been outstanding until then, was wrong-footed and could not prevent PSG from taking the lead. Courtesy: Reuters Barcelona responded after the break, finding an equaliser in the 55th minute after working their way through PSG's defence with a series of passes. Teenager Xavi Espart took matters into his own hands, bursting into the box before unleashing a powerful close-range shot past PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, who had kept the French side in the contest with his earlier interventions.The match, already being played at a relentless pace, found another gear. Lucas Hernandez rose to head home from a corner and restore PSG's lead, only for Lamine Yamal to respond almost immediately. The Barcelona teenager dribbled into the PSG box, beat his marker and finished from close range to make it 2-2.Just as Barcelona appeared to be gaining the upper hand, PSG struck twice to take control. Vitinha scored with a strike from outside the box before Fabian Ruiz arrived at the far post to turn the ball home, stretching the hosts' lead to 4-2 and leaving Barcelona with too much to do.FLICK ADMITS MISTAKESBarcelona head coach Hansi Flick admitted that his side had made too many errors against a PSG team that made the most of its opportunities."We made too many mistakes in this game, with the ball possession, easy ball losses," Flick said. "This was a great test for us, you saw today in which areas we have to improve to make things better."Flick also said Rodri, who had been left on the bench at the start of the match, would play on Sunday against Madrid in the season's first El Clasico.CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: OTHER RESULTSEighteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha played a starring role in Liverpool's comeback, setting up goals for Ronald Araujo, Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz.Liverpool had been 2-0 down after an erratic start, which included captain Virgil van Dijk holding up his hands in apology after his wayward header allowed Georges Mikautadze to score the opener for Villarreal.Manchester City bounced back from defeat to PSG with a slick 5-1 win against AEK Athens, with top scorer Erling Haaland on the bench. Phil Foden scored a hat-trick, with his second goal the pick of the bunch, coming at the end of a sweeping attack.Atletico Madrid held on with 10 men for a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart, foiling the German underdog's bid to join PSG and Liverpool on nine points.Julian Alvarez's goal for Atletico had cancelled out Jamie Leweling's opener when midfielder Morten Hjulman made a reckless sliding tackle from behind on Angelo Stiller, leaving Atletico clinging on.MCTOMINAY SCORES IN NAPOLI'S WINScott McTominay scored his first two goals of the season to help Napoli beat Bodo/Glimt 4-3 and relieve pressure on coach Massimiliano Allegri.McTominay, who also hit the post, missed a month of the season after undergoing a surgical procedure in early September to treat an irregular heartbeat.Serhou Guirassy scored twice, but Borussia Dortmund wasted plenty more chances in a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan's Sabah.It was not the convincing victory the German team had been hoping for after a loss to Bodo/Glimt last week, followed by a draw at Union Berlin that allowed Bayern Munich to take the Bundesliga top spot off Dortmund.Pavel Kacor's leaping volley in the 90th minute earned Slavia Prague a 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce, which had been leading 2-0 early on before a defensive blunder by Matto Guendouzi let the Czech side back into the game.PSV won 1-0 against Porto, which slumped to a third loss. Roma cruised to a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava.- Ends