UCL: Ramos strikes late as PSG stun Barcelona
Gonçalo Ramos became PSG’s unlikely hero on Wednesday night, scoring in stoppage time to hand the reigning European champions a dramatic 2–1 victory over FC Barcelona.
Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have had highly competitive recent history, but Les Parisiens travelled to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys as slight underdogs despite the label of UEFA Champions League holders - with Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, Joao Neves, and Kvara Kvaratskhelia not available at Luis Enrique's disposal. Instead it was Senny Maylulu, and Ibrahim Mbaye that started the match - Les Parisiens would end up finishing it in style.
Mayulu levels for the Parisians
The hosts started strongly and quickly imposed their rhythm on the game. A slick passing move saw Marcus Rashford drive down the right and deliver a low cross for Ferran Torres, who made no mistake from close range (19’). Barcelona looked in control, pressing high and forcing PSG into defensive shape. The early goal was a warning sign for Luis Enrique’s men, but the Parisians’ young squad showed no signs of panic.
PSG responded with patience and precision. Nuno Mendes and Mbaye combined brilliantly to carve open the defence, culminating in Senny Mayulu’s clinical finish from the edge of the area (38’). The 17-year-old French forward, making only his second Champions League start, controlled the ball and slotted it past Wojciech Szczęsny to bring the score level, giving PSG a huge confidence boost heading into the break.
Ramos to the rescue!
The second period was a tactical battle. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo created openings but key interventions from Achraf Hakimi and Illia Zabarnyi kept the Catalans at bay. PSG, meanwhile, relied on fast transitions and clever use of space, with Vitinha, Hakimi, and Ramos combining repeatedly to stretch the hosts’ backline.
As the clock ticked down, Kang-In Lee struck the post, and a sequence of corners and set-pieces tested Barcelona, but the deadlock looked set to hold—until the 90th minute.The decisive moment came when Vitinha threaded a pass to Hakimi, whose perfectly measured cross found Gonçalo Ramos in the six-yard box. The Portuguese striker made no mistake, curling a low finish past Szczesny (90’).
The player: Gonçalo Ramos
After missing much of PSG's Ligue 1 McDonald's action, and having been the subject of doubts from the media, the Portuguese international proved once again his worth in the UEFA Champions League. He has now scored twice off the bench for PSG in Europe this season.
The stat: Eight last games
PSG have scored in their last 8 games in the UEFA Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 10 games from 19th September 2023 to 16th April 2024.
