Paris Saint-Germain claimed a prestigious victory at the Montjuïc Stadium, defeating FC Barcelona 2-1 on Matchday 2 of the Champions League group stage. After being under pressure for much of the game, the Parisians relied on the omnipresent Achraf Hakimi to turn the tide and pull off a masterstroke in Catalonia.
A dominant Barça, Paris responds through Hakimi
From the very first minutes, Barça displayed their attacking intent. A dazzling Lamine Yamal danced past the Parisian defense before setting up Torres, whose shot was blocked (2’). Moments later, Hakimi responded for PSG with a dangerous cross that Szczesny gathered (6’). The Moroccan, highly active down his flank, then won Paris’s first corner after another blocked delivery (11’).
Catalan dominance eventually paid off: after a Vitinha turnover, Yamal picked out Pedri, who shifted the ball to Rashford. The Englishman’s cross found Ferran Torres, who slid in to push the ball into the net (20’). Deservedly behind, Paris got back into the game through their attacking threats. In the 30th minute, Hakimi came close to equalizing with a strike denied by Szczesny. Just moments later, Mayulu restored parity for PSG with a crisp shot from the edge of the box (38’).
Hakimi saves Paris at the back and drives them forward up front
After the break, PSG made better use of their chances. Mayulu and Barcola were both denied by Szczesny (54’), before Hakimi tried his luck cutting inside (55’). The Moroccan’s standout moment came in the 65th minute: just as Olmo looked certain to restore Barça’s lead with a shot into an empty net, Hakimi produced a decisive recovery to save his team.
Always a threat going forward, Hakimi first drew a reckless foul from Casado, who was shown a yellow card (79’). A few minutes later, he stood out again with a shot deflected for a corner (85’). His relentless bursts of pace kept the Catalan defense under pressure right until the final whistle.
The final blow delivered by Hakimi and Ramos
Just as the match seemed destined for a draw, Paris struck in stoppage time. Released down his flank, Hakimi surged forward at full speed and delivered a pinpoint cross for Gonçalo Ramos. The Portuguese striker finished with an unstoppable low drive (90’), sealing a crucial victory for PSG.
A pragmatic PSG, with Hakimi leading the way
Thanks to this second win in as many matches (2-1), PSG take a strong step forward in their group. While Mayulu and Ramos found the net, Achraf Hakimi embodied the Parisians’ fighting spirit: active in attack, rock-solid in defense, and decisive in the move that led to the winning goal.
The Moroccan full-back once again confirmed that he is one of the key figures in PSG’s project.
