Paris Saint-Germain Overcome Absences to Defeat Barcelona Away

Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning European champions, overcame a host of injuries to secure a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Spain on Match week 2 of the UEFA Champions League unified group stage.

The French side entered the clash missing several key players, most notably Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, captain Marquinhos, and wingers Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. To make matters worse, Portuguese midfielder João Neves withdrew at the last moment despite being named in the starting XI.

Barcelona struck first following a well-orchestrated move that saw Marcus Rashford slip a pass through to Ferran Torres, who finished with a one-touch strike into the net (19).

But the French champions equalized when left-back Nuno Mendes started a brilliant solo run, eventually sending the ball to youngster Senny Mayulu, who pounced between two defenders and slotted home (38).

PSG sealed the victory in the dying moments of the match, as Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi led a counterattack and delivered a pinpoint cross to Portuguese substitute Gonçalo Ramos, who calmly converted (90).

The Parisian club thus repeated their recent trend of triumphs at Camp Nou, having also beaten Barcelona 4-1 in their last two visits in 2021 and 2024.

Arsenal Victorious, City Stumble

Arsenal earned a 2-0 win over Olympiacos at the Emirates, with goals from Gabriel Martinelli (12) and Bukayo Saka (90).

Monaco deprived Manchester City of a second straight Champions League victory after English defender Eric Dier struck a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time to seal a 2-2 draw.

Norwegian star Erling Haaland had twice put City ahead (15, 44), with Dutchman Jordan Teze leveling for the hosts after the first (18). But the English side squandered their chance to claim all three points when they conceded a late penalty, which Dier converted with composure (90).

Haaland opened the scoring after Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol spotted a gap in Monaco’s backline and delivered a perfectly lofted pass. Haaland controlled brilliantly and, with a first-time touch, lobbed the ball over Swiss-German goalkeeper Philipp Köhn (15). The hosts responded quickly as Teze unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the area that flew into the top corner (18).

The City striker restored his team’s lead just before halftime, rising high to meet a cross from Nicky O’Reilly and heading it powerfully into the net (44). But in the dying moments, controversy struck when the referee penalized Spaniard Nico González for a raised foot on Dier. After a VAR review confirmed the decision, Dier stepped up and slotted home the spot-kick (90), ensuring Monaco walked away with a valuable point.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United celebrated their first Champions League victory of the season with a commanding 4-0 win away at Union Saint-Gilloise. 

New signing Nick Woltemade (17), Anthony Gordon (43, 64, both penalties), and Harvey Barnes (81) were on target for the Magpies.

Napoli edged Sporting CP 2-1, thanks to a brace from Danish striker Rasmus Højlund, currently on loan from Manchester United. 

Borussia Dortmund cruised past Athletic Bilbao with a 4-1 win, while Villarreal and Juventus shared a 2-2 draw — the second stalemate for the Bianconeri following their dramatic 4-4 opener against Dortmund.