Barcelona lost to PSG in the UCL Matchday 2 clash of week 2 of the UCL. The reigning UCL champions were without their starting front three of Désiré Doué, Kvaratskhelia, and Dembélé. Their captain, Marquinhos, was also absent, and PSG had to start with some of their academy players in their place. Ferran Torres opened the scoring following a splendid cross from loanee Marcus Rashford.
However, academy player Mayulu equalized just a few minutes later after an assist from Nuno Mendes. The 19-year-old also scored in the UCL final against Inter Milan, coming off the bench to net the fifth goal of the game.
The first half ended in a draw. Although Barça were outplayed, especially in the last 15 minutes, they also missed several clear chances — most notably when Dani Olmo squandered a golden opportunity by sending the ball straight to Achraf Hakimi instead of finishing.
Lamine Yamal was nowhere to be found; well, he was practically in Nuno Mendes’ pocket. So he wasn’t “missing” per se — he just couldn’t do anything from the PSG left-back’s pocket.
Gonçalo Ramos scored the winner in stoppage time, capitalizing on Barça’s high line — a formation usually used to press the opponent. Instead of settling for a draw and taking a point, Barça pushed high, trying to catch PSG offside. The goal itself remains controversial, with some calling it “offside,” but the result still stands.
This is the same reason they lost to Inter Milan last season: they tried to score more goals despite leading by a single goal with just four minutes left. It looks like they still haven’t learned their lesson this season.
PSG have now beaten Barcelona in three consecutive away games. Luis Enrique coached a masterclass even without his key players. Funny enough, he remains the only coach to have won a treble with Barcelona, making him still a legend at the club. He also won another treble with PSG, well quadruple.