PSG makes Champions League history, Barcelona sail past Aston Villa
Paris Saint-Germain made Champions League history with a record-breaking start to their 6-0 demolition of Villarreal, while Barcelona cruised to an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. The defending champions produced a ferocious attacking display despite missing several key players as Barcelona ended Villa’s perfect start to the competition.
PSG were without Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes and long-term absentee Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but their absences were barely felt as Luis Enrique’s side overcame Villarreal. The French champions scored four times in the opening 17 minutes to set a new benchmark for the competition and added two more goals after the break.
Barcelona, meanwhile, were equally convincing against an Aston Villa side who had won their opening three games in the league stage. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring early before Raphinha struck twice in the second half to seal a comfortable victory. However, the result was tempered by injury concerns for Spanish midfielder Rodri, who was forced off at half-time.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 despite being without head coach Vincent Kompany, while Manchester United recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford. It was a night of significant results across Europe, with PSG and Barcelona putting in two standout performances.
PSG MAKES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY
PSG needed just 16 minutes and two seconds to score four goals against Villarreal and set a new Champions League record. The previous benchmark was Real Madrid, who scored four goals in 20 minutes in a 6-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb in 2011.
Joao Neves opened the scoring in the ninth minute, who reacted the fastest to a loose ball in the corner. Desire Doue doubled the advantage in the 12th minute, just a minute later he struck Senny Mayula. Fabian Ruiz completed an extraordinary burst in the 17th minute, with Villarreal’s defensive errors playing a role in the three goals that followed Neves’ opener.
The defending champions did not take their foot off the pedal after the break. Ruiz scored his second of the night before 17-year-old David Boly came off the bench to make his Champions League debut with a goal in the 78th minute. The 6-0 win kept PSG at the top of the league stage table with 12 points from four matches.
BARCELONA CRUISE, RODRI INJURY SPARKS CONCERNS
Barcelona made a statement of their own when they ended Aston Villa’s winning streak in the competition. Yamal put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute after picking up a misplaced pass from Joao Gomes, cutting inside and finding the bottom corner.
Raphinha then got into the middle of the action after the break. The Brazilian scored with a deflected effort in the 52nd minute before completing a brace in the 64th minute, meeting Joao Cancelo’s clever off-foot delivery first time. The result moved Barcelona into second place in the table ahead of Villa on goal difference.
However, Rodri’s half-time withdrawal cast a shadow over the win. The Spanish international was replaced by Marc Bernal after muscle pain, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirmed the suspicion of a calf problem. The club awaited further examinations on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury.
The timing couldn’t be more worrying for Barcelona as they face Atletico Madrid in a crucial La Liga game on Sunday. They are currently two points ahead of their rivals. Villa, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat in the league stage after three successive victories, with Unai Emery admitting his side need to learn to better compete with the competition’s strongest sides.
MORE RESULTS FROM EUROPE
Bayern Munich beat Atletico Madrid 2-0, with 18-year-old Lennart Karl opening the scoring in the 54th minute. The youngster became the fourth youngest player to reach five Champions League goals, while Konrad Laimer sealed victory after being set up by Harry Kane.
Manchester United lost 2-0 to beat Roma 3-2with Bruno Fernandes converting a repeat penalty before Matheus Cunha struck twice. Cunha was sent off late on but United held on for their first win in 10 games.
Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0, Sporting Lisbon beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 and Inter Milan secured a 3-0 win over Feyenoord. LASK beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0, while Bodo/Glimt and Lille played out a goalless draw.
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