Yamal, Vitinha strike as PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in Champions League thriller

Desire Doue, Lamine Yamal and Vitinha scored superb individual goals as Champions League holders Paris St-Germain overcame Barcelona 4-2 in a breathless encounter at the Parc des Princes.

Doue opened the scoring in the 38th minute of a first half in which both sides missed several clear chances.

Teenage full-back Xavi Espart drew Barcelona level early in the second half with a rifled near-post effort, before PSG defender Lucas Hernandez restored the lead with a towering header, reports the BBC.

Lamine Yamal made it 2-2 with a genius near-post finish, but less than two minutes later Vitinha sent a volley into the bottom corner to reclaim the lead for PSG.

Fabian Ruiz put the result beyond doubt five minutes later by converting Achraf Hakimi’s low cross at the back post, in a win that ends Barcelona’s 11-match unbeaten run.

The Parisians had wasted little time implementing their high-pressing gameplan, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia striking the foot of the post after just 79 seconds and Doue and Ousmane Dembele both denied by Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

Garcia had a busy end to the half as he twice denied Ferran Torres – who replaced the injured Dembele – but could do nothing about Doue’s opener after PSG intercepted a ball out from defence.

The momentum swung after the break when Espart beat Matvey Safonov at his near post, before Torres hit the post and Hernandez headed in from a corner to make it 2-1, with Lamine Yamal, Vitinha and Ruiz then trading goals in a frantic five-minute spell to seal victory for PSG, who move to nine points while Barcelona remain on six.

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