PSG late show downs Barca in Champions League, Liverpool fight back
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed AEK Athens 5-1, while there were also much-needed wins for Roma and Napoli. PSG kept their place at the top of the early league-phase table, but could yet count the cost of injuries suffered by Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes.
Barcelona twice levelled against the two-time defending champions, but were ultimately well beaten as they slipped to their first defeat of the season. Hansi Flick's men had won their previous 11 games in all competitions this term.
Kvaratskhelia hit the post, Dembele hobbled off and Ferran Torres was denied by Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia in a fast-paced opening. PSG took a deserved lead in the 38th minute as Desire Doue collected the ball outside the area and thumped a shot into the bottom corner.
Garcia made another excellent save shortly after the break from Achraf Hakimi, before Xavi Espart burst through to level for Barca against the run of play. Kvaratskhelia and Marquinhos both pulled up injured within seconds of each other and had to leave the field.
The home team continued to press, though, and Lucas Hernandez restored their advantage 18 minutes from time with a brilliant header, shortly after former Barcelona forward Torres hit the post. Lamine Yamal powered past Warren Zaire-Emery to equalize again seven minutes later.
But Vitinha hammered home from outside the box in the 81st minute and Ruiz's tap-in gave Luis Enrique's team a second straight 4-2 Champions League win after seeing off Man City by the same scoreline last week. Liverpool's English midfielder #53 James McConnell (R) outruns a challenge from Villarreal's Spanish striker #22 Ayoze Perez Gutierrez during the UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Villareal at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on October 20, 2026.
Liverpool fell behind in the fourth minute when Georges Mikautadze pounced on a terrible error from Virgil van Dijk, before Villarreal defender Sergi Cardona strolled through their defense to make it two. Alexis Mac Allister pulled one back for the hosts nine minutes before half-time by heading in Kostas Tsimikas's corner.
Andoni Iraola's men were level in first-half added time through Ronald Araujo's back-post header after Cardona inexplicably left Rio Ngumoha's cross. Mac Allister completed the turnaround by firing in from Ngumoha's square pass, and half-time substitute Florian Wirtz's first goal of the season gave the Reds some breathing space.
Tani Oluwaseyi set up a nervy finish for Iraola, but Liverpool held on. At the Etihad, Elliot Anderson put Manchester City in front with his first goal for the club, tapping in a 12th-minute opener after Enzo Fernandez's free-kick bounced back off the crossbar.