Champions League Thriller: PSG Stop Barcelona, Liverpool Come Back, Foden Hat-Trick Fires Manchester City
Football fans were treated to a night of thrillers in the Champions League. Barcelona tasted their first defeat of the season as defending champions Paris Saint-Germain stopped the flying Catalan club, Liverpool produced a stirring comeback against Villarreal, and a Phil Foden hat-trick powered Manchester City to a big win.
Barcelona had gone 11 straight matches without defeat — wins across La Liga and the Champions League — before that run ended in Paris on Tuesday night.
PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in Paris. Desire Doue put the hosts ahead in the 38th minute, and Xavi Espart levelled for Barca in the 55th.
Lucas Hernandez restored PSG's lead in the 72nd minute, and Lamine Yamal equalised again for the Catalans in the 79th. But Vitinha in the 81st and Fabian Ruiz in the 86th sealed victory for the defending champions.
Manchester City thrashed AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad. Elliot Anderson opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Foden doubled the lead in the 34th.
Stavros Pilios pulled one back for the visitors in the 52nd minute, before Rayan Cherki made it 3-1 in the 57th. Foden then scored in the 65th and 76th minutes to complete his hat-trick and a commanding win for the English giants.
At Anfield, Liverpool beat Villarreal 4-3 in a comeback story. Georges Mikautadze in the 4th minute and Sergi Cardona in the 29th put Villarreal ahead.
Alexis Mac Allister reduced the deficit in the 36th minute, and Ronald Araujo levelled in first-half stoppage time. Mac Allister's second in the 65th put Liverpool ahead, and Florian Wirtz scored the winner in the 68th. Tani Oluwaseyi pulled one back in the 87th but could not prevent defeat.
Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in Italy, with goals from Mario Hermoso in the 21st, Nahuel Molina in the 39th, Niccolo Pisilli in the 52nd and a Donyell Malen penalty in the 58th.
Napoli edged Bodo/Glimt 4-3 in a seven-goal drama in Naples. Matteo Politano scored in the first minute, Jens Petter Hauge equalised in the 27th, Scott McTominay restored the lead in the 41st and Andreas Helmersen levelled again in the 62nd.
McTominay's second in the 75th made it 3-2, an Odin Bjortuft own goal in the 88th secured the win, and Sondre Brunstad Fet reduced the margin at the death for Bodo.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund beat Sabah 2-1, Fenerbahce and Slavia Prague drew 2-2, Porto lost 1-0 to PSV Eindhoven, and Stuttgart and Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 — a goal-filled night that tightened the Champions League group battles.
