Paris Saint-Germain reaffirmed its status as a continental powerhouse with a spectacular 7-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena, a contest that saw both sides reduced to ten men in the first half. The victory propels the defending French champions to the top of the group standings after three games.
By halftime, PSG led 4-1, with Desire Doue netting twice to set the tone for an action-packed match. Nuno Mendes added a fifth goal shortly after the restart, while Ousmane Dembele made a scoring return off the bench following injury. Despite a penalty and a stunning long-range strike from Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia, PSG’s dominance was unquestionable.
"That's three games, three wins, and crucially we're at the top of the UEFA Champions League table," Dembele said. "We've started this campaign really well, especially considering how difficult it was last season."
Barcelona bounced back from an earlier defeat to PSG with a commanding 6-1 triumph over Olympiakos. Fermin Lopez scored his first career hat trick, while Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, contributed twice. Lamine Yamal also converted a penalty as Barcelona capitalised on a contentious red card shown to Santiago Hezze in the 57th minute.
"Sometimes it's difficult to break opponents down, but we have so many goalscoring players in different areas that getting goals is the least of our worries," Rashford said.
Also read: PSG, Inter Milan face off in Champions League final
Arsenal maintained its perfect start in Europe with a 4-0 rout of Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium. Viktor Gyokeres ended a seven-game scoring drought with two goals in three minutes, adding to strikes from Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli. Arsenal now sits third in the group, behind PSG and Inter Milan on goal difference.
Top scorer Erling Haaland continued his extraordinary run for Manchester City, netting his 24th goal of the season in a 2-0 victory over Villarreal. The Norway international has now scored in 12 consecutive Champions League games, taking his overall tally to 53 goals in just 51 appearances. Bernardo Silva also found the net for City, moving the Premier League leaders to fifth in the continental standings.
PSV Eindhoven stunned Italian champions Napoli 6-2, capitalising on a red card for Lorenzo Lucca in the 76th minute. Napoli’s three goals conceded in the final ten minutes highlighted the team’s defensive vulnerabilities, leaving Antonio Conte’s side with just one win from three European outings.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan maintained a 100 per cent record after a 4-0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise, with Lautaro Martinez continuing his scoring streak. Newcastle United secured a 3-0 win against Benfica, while Borussia Dortmund overcame Copenhagen 4-2. Kazakhstani side Kairat earned its first point in the tournament with a goalless draw against Pafos.
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