Key Takeaways:
- Paris Saint-Germain defeated Tottenham 5-3 at the Parc des Princes, handing Spurs their first tournament loss
- Vitinha registered the first hat trick of his career, including a penalty to cap the scoring
- Lucas Hernandez was sent off in stoppage time as six second-half goals were scored in a dramatic encounter
Match Recap and Line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain, reigning Champions League holders, consigned Tottenham Hotspur to their opening defeat of this year’s competition with a frenetic 5-3 victory at the Parc des Princes. This result propelled PSG into second place in the standings, while Tottenham slipped to 16th.
Luis Enrique made a bold selection by starting 18-year-old Quentin Ndjantou as the lead striker, leaving Ousmane Dembélé among the substitutes. PSG also reshuffled defensively, with Warren Zaïre-Emery slotting in at right-back due to Hakimi’s absence.
What a match, what a victory, WHAT A TEAM!#PSGTOT I @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/oIUAs2nBXK
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 26, 2025
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank introduced five new faces compared to the side that suffered a heavy loss in the North London derby prior to this match. Pedro Porro, Pape Sarr, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and ex-PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani were all named as starters.
First Half Analysis
Tottenham began brightly, applying early pressure that unsettled the hosts. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia threatened with a long-range effort that narrowly missed the target in the 18th minute, and goalkeeper Vicario produced an important stop to deny Zaïre-Emery’s header.
The breakthrough arrived for Spurs in the 35th minute. Archie Gray, released skilfully by Bergvall, delivered a cross to the far post. Kolo Muani headed back across the face of goal and Richarlison nodded home from close range, opening the scoring for the visitors.
PSG responded just before the interval, as Vitinha fired a sublime shot from 22 metres into the top corner to equalise.
Second Half: Goal Rush and Drama
The action intensified after the break. In the 50th minute, Marquinhos cleared Gray’s header off the line, but the ball fell kindly to Kolo Muani, who buried his effort to restore Tottenham’s lead against his former club. However, PSG reacted swiftly, with Vitinha netting his second goal via a precise strike from just outside the area four minutes later.
The hosts soon completed their comeback. In the 60th minute, Cristian Romero’s risky pass to Sarr was intercepted by Hernandez. Neves delivered a deft backheel to Ruiz, who slotted past Vicario to put PSG ahead 3-2.
Tottenham’s defence then faltered again. Five minutes later, after failing to clear a corner, Sarr lost possession to Willian Pacho, who finished from close in to make it 4-2 for PSG.
In this goal-laden affair, Spurs found a way back in the 72nd minute, capitalising on a Vitinha mistake. Kolo Muani stole possession, beat two defenders, and drove the ball into the corner to reduce the deficit to 4-3.
The goal frenzy continued moments later. In the 75th minute, PSG were awarded a penalty after Romero handled following a shot from Vitinha. The Portuguese midfielder converted the spot-kick himself to both seal his hat trick and restore the two-goal cushion.
Late Red Card
The match ended on a sour note for the French side, as Lucas Hernandez was dismissed for elbowing Simons during stoppage time. Despite being reduced to ten men, PSG had already secured the points in this pulsating contest.
