Fabian Ruiz Late Goal Seals PSG Win as Barcelona Defence Crumbles
Fabian Ruiz struck in the 86th minute to complete Paris Saint-Germain’s late surge, leaving Barcelona beaten after their defence collapsed in the closing stages in Paris.
What we know
- Barcelona had 53% possession in Hansi Flick’s fluid 4-2-3-1, but Désiré Doué put PSG ahead before half-time.
- Fermín López changed the game after replacing Dani Olmo in the 27th minute. He set up Espart’s 55th-minute equaliser.
- Lamine Yamal scored in the 79th minute and briefly looked to have rescued a draw, but Vitinha replied two minutes later before Ruiz added PSG’s late fourth goal.
- Barcelona’s goalkeeper made nine saves, yet PSG still registered 13 efforts on target as the visitors struggled to track runs and protect their high defensive line.
- Barcelona’s defence was repeatedly exposed down the flanks. Martín had difficulty dealing with Achraf Hakimi, while an early 17th-minute booking restricted the experienced full-back on the opposite side.
- Yamal was Barcelona’s main attacking threat, while Gordon pressed aggressively from the left. The captain was substituted on the hour after making little impact in front of goal.
Flick must fix the late-game structure
Flick’s changes initially gave Barcelona a route back into the match. López added urgency and creativity, while Gavi entered on 60 minutes to reinforce midfield. Bernal also departed at that point, and Alejandro Balde replaced Espart in the 74th minute.
But the replacements could not halt PSG’s momentum. Barcelona lost control of transitions, with the side brought on for extra physicality bypassed before Vitinha’s decisive strike. A later left-back switch also failed to close the gaps.
The immediate task for Flick is to tighten Barcelona’s shape when protecting a result. Their possession game created a platform, but PSG punished the space behind the defence in the final 10 minutes.
