PSG 5-3 Spurs: Kolo Muani brace not enough as Champions League holders prevail | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 5-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur in a breathless Champions League tie in Paris, but the holders were pushed far harder than the scoreline suggests.

Tottenham led twice at the Parc des Princes and delivered a level of intensity that stood in stark contrast to their meek derby loss at Arsenal, yet they still left France empty-handed after PSG found repeated answers through the brilliance of Vitinha.

Richarlison opened the scoring with a close-range header after a well-worked move down the left and Spurs’ aggressive midfield gave PSG early problems.

Vitinha dragged the hosts level seconds before the interval with a spectacular strike that swung the momentum at a crucial stage.

Tottenham regained the lead five minutes after the restart when Randal Kolo Muani reacted first during a scramble in the area against the club that loaned him out in the summer.

PSG responded immediately and forced Spurs into the kind of frantic spell that has undone many visiting sides in this competition.

Vitinha curled in a second equaliser from the edge of the box as the holders accelerated through the gears and exposed the looseness that continues to haunt Tottenham’s defensive structure.

Fabian Ruiz capitalised on a turnover from Pape Matar Sarr to put PSG ahead for the first time, a moment that reflected Spurs’ vulnerability when trying to play out under pressure.

Willian Pacho made it 4-2 after more unsteady defending from a corner, leaving Tottenham to rue the quick unravelling of a promising performance.

Kolo Muani struck again with a firm finish to offer another hint of a comeback, continuing a standout individual display that showed why Spurs want to keep him beyond his loan.

Any hope of a dramatic ending vanished when Vitinha completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Cristian Romero was penalised for handball.

PSG finished the match with ten men after Lucas Hernandez was dismissed for elbowing Xavi Simons, although the sending off arrived too late to influence the outcome.

Tottenham will be encouraged by their attacking play and the impact of Kolo Muani, who was involved in all three goals in one of his best performances for the club.

They will also know that the defensive lapses that repeatedly handed PSG a route back cannot continue with their Champions League automatic qualification now increasingly at risk.

The performance offered positives, but the points went to PSG.