Paris Saint-Germain have made Champions League history. The holders scored four goals in 16 minutes and two seconds at Villarreal on Tuesday, then added two more in a 6-0 win that leaves them as the only side with a perfect record after four matches.
A record in 16 minutes
PSG became the fastest team to score four goals in a single Champions League match, taking just 16 minutes and two seconds to lead 4-0. The previous benchmark was Real Madrid’s 20 minutes.
João Neves opened the scoring in the ninth minute after a corner, and three minutes later Désiré Doué punished a mistake by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to make it 2-0. Senny Mayulu added a third from inside the box a minute after that, and Fabián Ruiz struck from inside the area in the 17th minute. PSG were the first team to score three away goals in the first 13 minutes of a Champions League game.
Second half
There was no easing off after the interval. Ruiz scored his second soon after the restart, latching on to a free-kick from Vitinha to make it 5-0. Seventeen-year-old David Boly came on and scored on his Champions League debut in the 78th minute to complete the rout.
The match statistics tell the same story. PSG had around two-thirds of possession and put 12 of their 22 shots on target, while Villarreal managed just two on target from 13 attempts. The home side also picked up four yellow cards, compared with none for the visitors.
Records and the table
PSG’s scoring run is historic. They have 20 goals in four games, an average of five per match and the best scoring start in the Champions League era; the previous best was 17 goals in 2017/18. They also became the first club to score six away goals against a Spanish team in the competition. The result equalled Lyon’s French record of 14 Champions League games unbeaten.
Earlier wins this term came against Slovan Bratislava (6-1), Manchester City (4-2) and Barcelona (4-2). PSG are now three points clear at the top. Villarreal started the night in 19th place on three points.
Enrique plays it down
Luis Enrique was not interested in the numbers. He said league-phase standings and goals scored “do not count for anything,” and that the only goal is to win the final in Madrid. He pointed out that PSG have been crowned champions before without finishing the league phase in the top eight. Reports in the French press said he also felt some discomfort for Villarreal given the scale of the scoreline.
Neves took the same line. He said the team “aren’t going to stop” and set a top-eight finish as the target.
Elsewhere on a busy night
Other results from Tuesday’s matches included Bayern Munich winning 2-0 at Atlético Madrid, Barcelona beating Aston Villa 3-0, Inter winning 3-0 at Feyenoord and Manchester United edging Roma 3-2. Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0, Sporting won 1-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk, and Bodø/Glimt and Lille drew 0-0.
On Wednesday the focus shifts to a further round of fixtures, including AEK Athens against Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe against Liverpool, Slavia Prague against Arsenal and RB Leipzig against Manchester City.
What it means
Four matches into the new format, PSG have set a pace that others will struggle to match. They have the best attack in the competition, a squad deep enough to give a teenager a debut in a rout, and a coach who is already thinking about the knockout stage. For Villarreal, the priority is damage limitation: they must find defensive solidity quickly if they are to stay in the race for a place in the top 24.
Whether PSG can sustain this level remains an open question, but on Tuesday night they gave their rivals a very clear message.
