PSG Beat Barcelona as Foden Hat-Trick Powers Man City and Liverpool Win Seven-Goal Thriller

Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4⁠–⁠2, Phil Foden scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 5⁠–⁠1 victory over AEK Athens and Liverpool overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat Villarreal 4⁠–⁠3 on Tuesday. The Champions League delivered three emphatic attacking stories, with very different lessons for South African bettors.

PSG and Liverpool have nine points from three matches, while City’s recovery puts them on six alongside Barcelona. Wednesday’s programme can reshape the standings again, with Bayern Munich vs Arsenal leading tonight’s action at 21:00 SAST.

PSG find the answers as Barcelona’s perfect start ends

The defensive questions in our PSG vs Barcelona preview proved well founded. Barcelona twice equalised at the Parc des Princes, but PSG kept finding another scorer to settle a contest that remained level entering the final ten minutes.

Désiré Doué broke through in the 38th minute after Barcelona lost possession. Xavi Espart equalised in the 55th, Lucas Hernández headed PSG ahead from a corner in the 72nd and Lamine Yamal made it 2⁠–⁠2 seven minutes later. Vitinha restored the lead in the 81st minute before Fabián Ruiz completed the scoring late on.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had already hit the post and had an effort ruled out for offside. Ousmane Dembélé and Dani Olmo both went off injured, adding selection concerns that require fresh medical updates before either side’s next match.

PSG’s four different scorers strengthen the argument for assessing their team-goals markets rather than relying on one forward. Barcelona’s two equalisers show their attack remains dangerous; conceding four makes win-and-clean-sheet combinations harder to justify against elite opposition.

Foden gives City a convincing response without Haaland

City answered last week’s 4⁠–⁠2 defeat by PSG with goals from Elliot Anderson, Rayan Cherki and Foden’s treble. Anderson scored after 12 minutes, Foden added the second before half-time and Stavros Pilios briefly reduced AEK’s deficit to 2⁠–⁠1.

Cherki restored the cushion before Foden completed his hat-trick with goals in the 65th and 76th minutes. Rico Lewis supplied two of Foden’s goals, while substitute Ryan McAidoo delivered the cross for his third.

Erling Haaland was an unused substitute, as City’s official match report confirms. Enzo Maresca made eight starting changes from the Ipswich game and gave teenage striker Floyd Samba a start. This was evidence of attacking depth through rotation, with no need to use Haaland.

That matters with Antoine Semenyo facing around eight weeks out after a knee injury. Foden’s finishing and Cherki’s creation give Maresca alternatives, although AEK’s counter-attacking goal shows why a strong City team-total case can coexist with doubts about a clean sheet.

Liverpool’s comeback comes with a defensive cost

Georges Mikautadze punished Virgil van Dijk’s misplaced header and Sergi Cardona finished a counter-attack to put Villarreal 2⁠–⁠0 ahead. Alexis Mac Allister’s header began Liverpool’s recovery, with Ronald Araújo nodding in the equaliser before half-time.

Mac Allister scored again after Rio Ngumoha’s outstanding run, then Florian Wirtz made it 4⁠–⁠2. Tani Oluwaseyi’s late volley ensured an anxious finish, but Liverpool held on. Ngumoha supplied two assists and was UEFA’s Player of the Match.

The change at the interval helped Liverpool take control. Andoni Iraola introduced Wirtz for Araújo and moved Ryan Gravenberch to right-back, explaining afterwards that Gravenberch could follow Villarreal’s midfield runners inside and support Ngumoha going forward. Araújo’s withdrawal was tactical; Iraola said he was OK.

Liverpool’s official report records six starting changes. Their recovery supports confidence in the attacking options, but conceding three again after the LASK game keeps both-teams-to-score markets relevant. Starting personnel and the opponent still determine whether that pattern is worth backing.

The qualification picture before Wednesday’s games

PSG and Liverpool have won all three matches; Barcelona and City have two wins and a defeat. These are standings before Wednesday’s fixtures, with several contenders still having played only twice. Five league-phase games remain for Tuesday’s teams: the top eight advance directly to the last 16, while ninth to 24th enter play-offs.

Elsewhere, Napoli beat Bodø/Glimt 4⁠–⁠3, Roma defeated Slovan Bratislava 4⁠–⁠0, Dortmund won 2⁠–⁠1 at Sabah and PSV won 1⁠–⁠0 at Porto. Stuttgart drew 1⁠–⁠1 with Atlético Madrid, who had Morten Hjulmand sent off, while Fenerbahçe and Slavia Praha drew 2⁠–⁠2.

Next round takes PSG to Villarreal and brings Aston Villa to Barcelona on 3 November. Liverpool visit Fenerbahçe and City travel to Leipzig on 4 November, giving each attack a different test.

Bayern vs Arsenal leads tonight’s programme

UEFA’s fixture list confirms Como vs Manchester United and Lille vs Galatasaray at 18:45 SAST tonight, 21 October. The 21:00 SAST games are Bayern vs Arsenal, Real Madrid vs Leipzig, Aston Villa vs Viking, Club Brugge vs Lens, Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Betis vs Feyenoord and Sporting CP vs LASK.

Arsenal arrive with wins over Napoli and Lille without conceding. Bayern drew 3⁠–⁠3 at Viking before beating Leipzig 6⁠–⁠1 domestically, but Michael Olise is suspended and Jamal Musiala is injured. Arsenal are missing William Saliba. Our angle to assess is Arsenal +1.5 goals on the handicap: it allows a one-goal defeat, alongside an Arsenal win or draw, without requiring a second away European clean sheet.

The Betting Read

PSG’s successive wins over City and Barcelona strengthen their outright case, subject to the injury updates. Liverpool’s points haul supports their qualification prospects, while their defensive errors make goals markets more persuasive than clean-sheet bets. City showed they can score heavily through several players, which matters when rotation affects individual scorer selections.

For tonight, assess the Arsenal handicap against its actual price and the confirmed teams. Our sports betting overviewexplains comparing markets and returns. Tuesday’s goals provide evidence about those teams; Bayern’s absences and Arsenal’s defensive record are the evidence relevant to Munich.

Welcome bonus

R50 Sports Bet + 25 Free Spins No Deposit Bonus

New customers only. T&Cs apply. 18+.

Claim now ↗

Affiliate disclosure: StraightBet may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. This does not affect our editorial independence. 18+ only. Bet responsibly. Winners know when to stop. Get help and support.

18+ only. Betting carries risk, so keep it within your means. This guide is written for South African residents and refers to operators licensed by provincial gambling boards under the National Gambling Act. If gambling is taking a toll on you or someone you know, the National Responsible Gambling Programme helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0800 006 008, or text HELP to 076 675 0710. Winners know when to stop.