PSG BLAST SPURS: VITINHA DELIVERS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MASTERCLASS
Vitinha scores a brilliant hat-trick as PSG rallies to beat Tottenham 5-3 in a Champions League classic. Match report and highlights.
In an exciting Champions League match on Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain came back from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 5-3, with midfielder Vitinha scoring a hat-trick. At the Parc des Princes, Vitinha's impressive play cancelled out Richarlison's opening goal right before halftime. He then repeated his performance early in the second half, after Randal Kolo Muani scored Spurs' second goal. Kolo Muani, playing against his parent club on loan, had hoped to make an impact and later scored again. However, it was after the current European champions took advantage of Tottenham's poor defence to score two more goals.
Fabian Ruiz scored PSG's third goal, Willian Pacho their fourth, and Vitinha secured the victory with a penalty. This win marks PSG's fourth in five Champions League games this season.
"It's the first time I've ever scored a hat trick, or even two goals in a game, so it's really special," Vitinha told Canal Plus. I'm really happy, especially because we won. We came back from behind twice, which shows what our team is made of.
PSG, despite Lucas Hernandez's late red card, are close to securing a spot in the knockout stage and is in a good position to finish in the top eight, which would send them straight to the last 16.
Spurs have dropped to 16th place, but they can still hope to reach the next stage with Slavia Prague as their next opponent.
Coach Thomas Frank didn't get the positive result he was hoping for after last weekend's 4-1 loss to Arsenal. Spurs have now allowed 11 goals in three games and have only won three of their last 12 matches.
Even so, losing to this PSG team isn't a disgrace, even though they're currently dealing with injuries.
I'm really happy with how we played. Today, we showed more of our team's true character, our courage, and our aggressiveness, Frank told TNT Sports. There were a lot of good things, like our two strikers scoring three goals together. The whole team did well.
This was the 10th time PSG has played a Premier League team in 2025, and they've won six of those games in regular time. They also beat Spurs in a penalty shootout in the UEFA Super Cup in August.
Spurs took the lead in this game with their first shot on goal after 35 minutes. Kolo Muani nodded Archie Gray's cross from the left across the goal, and Richarlison headed it in.
It was the third goal in three games for the Brazilian player and his sixth this season, beating his total from last season.
After losing at home to Bayern Munich in their previous game, PSG was determined to avoid another loss and equalised right at halftime.
Kolo Muani scores twice
After receiving the ball from Quentin Ndjantou, Vitinha let it roll across his body and then fired a fantastic right-footed shot that went in off the underside of the bar.
The visitors went back in front soon after the game restarted. Pacho cleared a shot from Gray off the line, but Kolo Muani shot the ball in.
It was the first goal for the France striker in 10 appearances for Tottenham since joining on loan from PSG.
PSG quickly responded again through Vitinha, who got a pass from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the box, moved into the area, and shot in with his left foot.
The title holders took the lead for the first time as the hour mark approached. Ruiz scored after a back-heel from Joao Neves, after Pape Matar Sarr was tackled just outside the box.
The goals kept coming, with Pacho scoring to make it 4-2 when the Spurs defence couldn't handle a corner.
Vitinha then made a rare mistake, losing possession in his own half, which allowed Kolo Muani to score his second goal of the night and his team's third.
But Vitinha, 25, had the last laugh.
PSG was awarded a penalty when Cristian Romero stopped his shot with his arm, and Vitinha scored to make it 5-3.
It was the first senior hat-trick for the player, who had missed his penalty against Spurs in the Super Cup.
Hernandez was then shown a red card in stoppage time after a review for elbowing Xavi Simons.
SCHEDULE SHIFT: LIGUE 1 POSTPONES PSG VS NANTES TO FAVOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREPARATIONS
Ligue 1 has officially moved PSG’s clash with Nantes to April, giving Paris a massive rest advantage for their game vs Chelsea.
PSG just got a big break ahead of their Champions League clash with Chelsea.
On Friday morning, the draw handed last year’s winners a tough last-16 matchup against Chelsea, the same team that beat them in the Club World Cup final back in July.
Luis Enrique and Liam Rosenior probably hoped to avoid each other until later in the tournament. But here they are, set to meet again, having crossed paths before thanks to Rosenior’s time at Strasbourg. The first leg lands on March 11 in Paris, with the return in London on March 17.
Originally, both teams had league matches wedged between those two legs. But now, Ligue 1 has given PSG a helping hand. They agreed to move PSG’s game against Nantes so Paris can focus on the Champions League. According to a statement from Ligue 1, the PSG-Nantes match will now take place the week of April 20, with the exact date still up in the air.
No word yet on whether Chelsea will try to shift their own fixture pile-up. The Premier League rarely grants these sorts of requests, so don’t count on it. Still, with Chelsea set to play Newcastle, another Champions League side, on March 14, both clubs would probably love a schedule change if they had the option.
Looking at the schedules, Chelsea’s road looks brutal. Between their trip to Arsenal this Sunday and March 21, they’ll cram in seven games. After Arsenal, they go away to Aston Villa, Wrexham in the FA Cup, and then PSG. Four times in three weeks, they get just three days to recover. Only twice do they have a four-day breather.
PSG’s calendar is a lot kinder. From March 1 to March 22, they play just four times. They’ll have an extra day to get ready for the first leg with Chelsea and three more days to rest up for the second game in England. In fact, between now and March 11, PSG only play once. Chelsea, meanwhile, faces three matches before heading to Paris. That’s a big advantage for the French club.
ARSENAL NEWS: ARSENAL VIEW SENNY MAYULU AS PRIMARY LONG-TERM SUCCESSOR TO KAI HAVERTZ
Arsenal have joined Chelsea and Man City in a €60m race for PSG’s Senny Mayulu, viewed as a potential successor to Kai Havertz.
Arsenal are looking to outdo Tottenham again this summer, this time by targeting PSG’s Senny Mayulu. Reports say Arsenal have joined the chase for the young playmaker, but they’re not alone; Chelsea, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Newcastle are all interested too.
Last year, Arsenal snatched Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace right out from under Spurs. Eze hasn’t exactly been on fire, but he did manage to score in both games against Tottenham. Now, Arsenal seem ready to twist the knife a little deeper by making a move for Mayulu, someone Tottenham tried and failed to sign last September, according to TEAMtalk.
CaughtOffside now reports that Arsenal and Chelsea are front-runners for Mayulu this summer. What helps their case? Talks over a new contract between Mayulu and PSG have stalled, and as things stand, he’ll enter the last year of his deal soon. The sticking point? Salary. Mayulu wants more than PSG is willing to offer, but Premier League clubs have a bigger appetite for spending.
Apparently, Arsenal see Mayulu as a possible successor to Kai Havertz in midfield. He’s played up front at times this season, but he’s really a midfielder at heart. Chelsea is also pushing for him, and Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Newcastle have all tested the waters with informal approaches.
No doubt about it, Mayulu is one of the hot names ahead of the summer window. PSG have slapped a €60m (£53m) price tag on him, so they’re not letting him go cheaply. They might still try to keep him, but if he won’t sign a new deal, selling now makes sense.
So, would Arsenal be the right move for Mayulu? He’s made 28 appearances for PSG this season, scoring four and assisting five. Since coming up through their academy, he’s racked up 72 games, 11 goals, and nine assists. That kind of promise makes a Premier League move feel almost inevitable, even though he’s already at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
If he does head to England, Arsenal will want to win the battle, but are they really the best fit? That probably depends on who leaves Arteta’s squad. Right now, Arsenal’s attacking midfield is stacked: Havertz, Eze, captain Martin Odegaard, and Ethan Nwaneri coming back from loan. Mikel Merino can play the hybrid midfield/striker role, and even Bukayo Saka has shifted more centrally at times, though he’s really best out wide.
So, there’s a logjam in attacking midfield at Arsenal. Unless Arteta sees Mayulu playing deeper, he might find more opportunities elsewhere. There could be an opening for another central midfielder, especially since Martin Zubimendi has been a hit and Christian Nørgaard hasn’t made much of an impact.
Chelsea isn’t much different. Cole Palmer is their main attacking midfielder, but that hasn’t stopped them from chasing more talent. City has Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, but there are questions over Bernardo Silva’s future.
Honestly, staying at PSG and continuing to grow there might be the best option for Mayulu. If he decides to leave, he needs to pick a club where he’ll actually play. Chelsea could make sense if Palmer moves wide, but Newcastle might be worth a look, too. They’ve shown they’re willing to adapt roles. Nick Woltemade, for example, has dropped deeper but could move back up if someone new joins as a No. 10.
In the end, Mayulu’s next move should be about finding the right fit, not just the biggest name.
