Vitinha shines as PSG come from behind to beat Spurs

PARIS - Holders Paris St Germain showed a never-say-die attitude as they twice came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-3 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with two moments of brilliance from Vitinha steering Luis Enrique’s side to victory.

PSG looked fragile at the back, conceding twice from defensive lapses and showing some of the same issues that contributed to their 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the previous round, but they responded with greater control and efficiency to turn the match around at the Parc des Princes.

Vitinha bagged a hat-trick with two fine strikes and a penalty, while Pacho and Fabian Ruiz also scored for PSG, who were made to work after Tottenham twice led through Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, the France forward finishing with a double.

After four victories in five games, PSG, who finished with 10 men after Lucas Hernandez was sent off in stoppage time, are second in the league phase standings, on course for direct qualification to the last 16, while Tottenham are 16th on eight points.

Fabian Ruiz went close with a left-footed attempt that drifted just wide in the eighth minute, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also curled a shot narrowly past the post as both sides started brightly.

On captain Marquinhos’s 500th appearance for the club, PSG appeared to miss the absent Achraf Hakimi, with midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery filling in at right back.

Ousmane Dembele, recently back from injury, began on the bench while academy graduate Quentin Ndjantou started up front.

'SWITCHED ON'

"Very good performance. I wanted us not to concede — that would have made it the perfect evening — but we won. Tottenham prepared well and exploited our weaknesses, but we stayed in the game," said Marquinhos.

"The attitude was there, the team was switched on and we were present throughout. Tottenham used counterattacks and crosses to the far post, but we are a team who never give up. We have a good mindset.”

Tottenham looked assured and went ahead 10 minutes before the interval when Richarlison nodded in after Kolo Muani had headed a cross into his path.

PSG reacted immediately and equalised on the stroke of halftime, Vitinha firing home a superb first-time effort from outside the area after being set up by Ndjantou. Both teams scored with their first shot on target.

The hosts were caught cold early in the second half as Kolo Muani scored against his former club, lashing in a volley after Pacho’s weak clearance. Tottenham’s lead was short-lived, though, with Vitinha producing another fine finish as he curled a shot into the far corner in the 53rd minute.

Six minutes later, Hernandez dispossessed Pape Matar Sarr and the loose ball ran to João Neves, whose composed back-heel teed up Ruiz for a clinical strike. Pacho then slammed in PSG’s fourth from a crowded goalmouth to give the home side a two-goal cushion.

Kolo Muani pulled one back in the 73rd minute, beating two defenders before firing past Lucas Chevalier.

A Cristian Romero handball, however, gave PSG a penalty in the 76th minute, and Vitinha sent Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way to complete his hat-trick and restore the two-goal lead.

Hernandez was then shown a straight red card three minutes into added time for elbowing Xavi Simons.

"We scored some goals, there are things we can work on but they are a top, top team and there are moments you will suffer against them," said Tottenham defender Archie Gray.

"They are the best team in Europe and they are relentless in every aspect of their game and they have that individual class. They are a top team and there are things we can learn from." REUTERS