Spurs lose eight goal thriller in Paris

 PSG 5 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their first Champions League loss of the season, twice surrendering the lead in a frantic contest against holders Paris St-Germain.

Author | Greg S

Stadium | Parc des Princes

For an hour, Thomas Frank’s side offered a marked improvement on the listless performance that drew heavy criticism after the north London derby defeat by Arsenal, yet they still could not keep PSG at arm’s length.

Richarlison put Spurs ahead with a close-range header after 35 minutes, only for PSG to level on the cusp of the interval when Vitinha arrowed a fine right-footed shot beyond Guglielmo Vicario.

Randal Kolo Muani restored the advantage five minutes into the second half with a scrappy effort against his parent club, but that goal merely prompted PSG to unleash the kind of ruthless spell that swept aside Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal in last season’s competition. 

Three goals in 12 minutes turned the match on its head

Vitinha struck again, this time with his left foot, to bring PSG level before Pape Matar Sarr was dispossessed and Fabian Ruiz swept the hosts in front just before the hour. Willian Pacho then capitalised on further defensive uncertainty to add a fourth.

Kolo Muani briefly revived Spurs’ hopes with a crisp finish on 72 minutes, but those were extinguished when Vitinha completed his hat-trick from the spot four minutes later after Cristian Romero handled.

PSG finished with 10 men after substitute Lucas Hernandez was dismissed in stoppage time for an elbow on Xavi Simons.

Brief moments of hope for Thomas Frank and his players

Thomas Frank arrived in Paris with his approach under intense scrutiny after the timid and cautious display that marked Spurs’ derby defeat against Arsenal.

This time, though, both manager and players offered a far sharper response. Frank abandoned the much-criticised five-man defence in favour of a more traditional back four, shielded by Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur, and it gave Spurs a clearer structure.

For an hour they lived with PSG, twice moving in front, although their failure to see out the opening period proved pivotal as a lapse in concentration allowed Vitinha to level with a superb strike seconds before the interval.

Randal Kolo Muani briefly restored their advantage after the restart, but PSG soon found the kind of rhythm that has undone far stronger sides in this competition.