Champions League wrap: Barcelona suffer late loss to PSG, Manchester City draw with Monaco

Ferran Torres sent hosts Barcelona ahead with a cool finish but Senny Mayulu fired a depleted PSG level before halftime.

It was an even and thoroughly entertaining bout between two of the competition’s favourites at the Olympic stadium which was eventually settled by Ramos’ late strike, as PSG exploited Barca’s high defensive line.

Hansi Flick selected Torres over veteran striker Robert Lewandowski and also benched Ronald Araujo for Eric Garcia, after the Uruguayan’s red card against PSG in 2024.

PSG coach Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, was lacking several key players and his team held on at times but eventually got the better of last season’s semi-finalists.

Barcelona and PSG have not been on the best of terms over the past decade, with the Catalans recording one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the game in 2017 with a 6-1 win over the Parisians.

PSG snatching Neymar and going on to sign all-time Barca great Lionel Messi worsened relations, although Luis Enrique’s approach and a spate of injuries left the visitors shorn of star names on their return to Catalonia.

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and his usual attacking partners Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all missed out, but PSG midfielders Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz were fit to start despite doubts leading up to the game.

Barcelona took the lead in the 19th minute after Yamal and Pedri combined quickly and Torres slotted home from Marcus Rashford’s quick first-time pass.

Mendes ripped into Barca territory and Pau Cubarsi misjudged a lunge to try and cut out his pass for 19-year-old striker Mayulu, who beat Szczesny from just inside the area in the 38th minute.

Bradley Barcola fired narrowly over and then forced Szczesny into a solid save either side of the interval as the European champions clicked into a higher gear.

PSG were fortunate Mendes was not issued a second yellow for felling Yamal in full flow on the edge of the box as the pendulum swung back the other way.

Dani Olmo’s shot was cleared off the line by Hakimi and PSG’s Kang-in Lee curled against the post as the clock ticked down in an even second half.

Eventually Ramos grabbed three points for PSG as he stayed onside to collect Hakimi’s pass, after the Moroccan got in behind Barca’s defence, and tap home.

ARSENAL CONTINUE PERFECT RUN

Gabriel Martinelli extended Arsenal’s perfect start in the Champions League as the Brazilian forward inspired a 2-0 victory against Olympiakos on Wednesday.

After winning 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao in their Champions League opener, Arsenal dispatched the Greek champions at the Emirates Stadium to maintain their 100 per cent record in the league phase.

Martinelli netted in the first half and Bukayo Saka wrapped up the points in the closing moments.

Mikel Arteta’s men improved their impressive home record in the Champions League with a 10th clean sheet in their last 13 matches in the competition.

The Gunners are back in action on Saturday against West Ham as they aim to close the two-point gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Martinelli scored the opener in the 12th minute after Odegaard unfurled a pinpoint pass that sliced through the Olympiakos defence towards Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres shrugged off his marker and smashed a fierce strike that cannoned back off the post to Martinelli, who slotted home from close range.

Martinelli’s third goal this season was no more than Arsenal deserved for a vibrant start but they were fortunate to remain ahead moments later.

Former Wolves winger Daniel Podence eluded the Arsenal rearguard for a volley that forced a superb save from David Raya.

Although Olympiakos had scored just once in their previous six Champions League matches, they carried a threat in patches and were only denied an equaliser by a tight offside decision that ruled out Chiquinho’s finish.

Tzolakis made a brilliant double save to stop Odegaard before Saga came off the bench to put a flattering gloss on the scoreline in stoppage time.

Odegaard found Saga for a shot that was powerful but should have been dealt with Tzolakis, who allowed it to squirm through his legs into the net.

CITY HELD TO DRAW DESPIT HAALAND DOUBLE

Eric Dier’s late penalty handed Monaco a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday as an Erling Haaland double was not enough to give Pep Guardiola’s side the victory.

The Norwegian striker netted twice in the first half for City either side of a Jordan Teze stunner, taking his tally for the season to 11 goals in eight games in all competitions.

It looked as though the 2023 European champions would leave the principality with a second win in as many outings in this season’s league phase, but they were denied by a 90th-minute spot-kick.

Nico Gonzalez was penalised for a high boot on Dier inside the area at a Monaco free-kick, with Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano eventually pointing to the spot after a long VAR check.

Dier stepped up to send Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way from the penalty, as Monaco claimed a first point in this season’s Champions League and City moved onto four points from two outings following their win against Napoli last time out.

Haaland reached a half-century of goals in Europe’s elite club competition when he scored in the 2-0 defeat of the Italian champions, and a double strike at the Stade Louis II leaves him on 52 from 50 career Champions League appearances.

The Norwegian scored twice late on in last Saturday’s 5-1 Premier League defeat of Burnley, and he got the breakthrough quarter of an hour into this encounter.

Josko Gvardiol lifted a ball over the top of the Monaco defence into the box, and Haaland escaped the attention of his marker before meeting the pass with a lob over home goalkeeper Philipp Koehn.

This was the first meeting of the teams since a memorable last-16 tie in 2017, won on away goals by the principality side after it ended 6-6 on aggregate.

That Monaco team included a teenage Kylian Mbappe and also Bernardo Silva, who was wearing the captain’s armband for City this time.

The home team drew level from their first shot of the match in the 18th minute, with Krepin Diatta cutting the ball back to the edge of the box for Teze, the Dutchman taking a touch before lashing in a brilliant right-foot shot from 20 metres high into the net past Donnarumma.

Monaco had Paul Pogba watching from the stands as the former Manchester United midfield star continues to build up fitness with the hope of soon making his debut after signing in the close season.

Without him they had an inexperienced midfield and were struggling to keep the visitors at bay, with City retaking the lead a minute before the interval when Haaland headed in a cross by Nico O’Reilly.

It seemed that would be enough for Guardiola’s men to take all three points, but the contentious late penalty award gave England international Dier the opportunity to rescue a share of the spoils for Monaco.

NEWCASTLE THUMP UNION SAINT-GILLOISE

Anthony Gordon scored a pair of penalties as Newcastle eased to a 4-0 win away to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday to pick up their first points in the Champions League.

Nick Woltemade flicked in Sandro Tonali’s shot to give Newcastle the lead in Brussels before Gordon converted twice from the spot on a comfortable night for Eddie Howe’s men.

Harvey Barnes came off the bench to add a fourth as Newcastle responded well to a stinging Premier League defeat by Arsenal on Sunday and an opening loss in Europe to Barcelona two weeks ago.