October 02, (THEWILL) — Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 2–1 victory over Barcelona at Montjuic in one of the UEFA Champions League league phase’s most eagerly awaited fixtures. Gonçalo Ramos settled the contest with a composed finish in the 90th minute after Achraf Hakimi delivered a pinpoint cross from the right flank. The Portuguese striker found himself unmarked against Wojciech Szczęsny and made no mistake with the match-winner.
Lamine Yamal impressed early for the hosts, threading a trivela pass to Ferran Torres, whose effort was cleared off the line by Ilya Zabarnyi following a save from Lucas Chevalier. Hansi Flick’s side capitalised on their relentless pressing when Vitinha lost possession, allowing Pedri to release Marcus Rashford down the wing. Rashford’s cross found Torres, who converted easily to put Barcelona ahead in the 19th minute.
The visitors responded before the interval through Senny Mayulu, who latched onto Nuno Mendes’s incisive pass after the left-back surged past multiple defenders. The young midfielder sent Szczęsny the wrong way to restore parity for Luis Enrique’s side. Mendes had been PSG’s standout performer during the opening period.
After half-time, PSG controlled proceedings and forced Szczęsny into several important stops. Hakimi nearly turned provider for an own goal when he blocked Dani Olmo’s strike that had already beaten Chevalier. Lee Kang-in struck the post late on after cutting inside from the right and evading challenges, signalling the French side’s growing threat in the closing stages.
Barcelona struggled to match their opponents during the second period, with both teams appearing fatigued throughout a physically demanding final half-hour. The defeat exposes vulnerabilities in Flick’s side, particularly given PSG were missing several first-choice players yet still managed to overturn the deficit and claim all three points on the road.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
