Paris Saint-Germain broke free from their struggles with a 3-0 victory over Austrian side Salzburg on Tuesday evening in the sixth round of the UEFA Champions League.
The Portuguese duo Gonçalo Ramos and Nuno Mendes struck in the 30th and 72nd minutes, respectively, while Désiré Douai sealed the victory with a third goal in the 85th minute.
With this triumph, the Parisians ended their rough patch, securing their second competition win after a draw and three losses in the previous four rounds. They climbed to 7 points, moving up to 24th place in the standings.
Paris reignited their hopes of advancing to the Champions League round of 16 with this crucial victory, setting up pivotal clashes in their final two matches against Manchester City and Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, Salzburg’s tally remained at 3 points, leaving them in 32nd place after suffering their third defeat, effectively eliminating them from the competition.
At Salzburg’s home ground, Paris showcased a potent attacking display, but Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager delivered an exceptional performance, denying multiple attempts from Achraf Hakimi, Gonçalo Ramos, and Vitinha. Both Lee Kang-in and Bradley Barcola also missed the target with shots wide of the goal.
Salzburg focused on counterattacks, with Néné Dorgeles squandering a dangerous chance in the 23rd minute. Moments later, Ramos missed an even more promising opportunity in the 24th minute.
Paris eventually capitalized on their dominance, breaking the deadlock through Gonçalo Ramos in the first half. A cross from Barcola and a header by Achraf Hakimi set up Ramos to finish, giving Paris a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The second half saw Paris tighten their grip on the match, doubling their advantage through Nuno Mendes. After receiving a pass from Barcola and a setup from substitute Désiré Douai, Mendes struck a brilliant shot into the top corner.
Lucas Hernandez, making his return after over seven months sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, replaced Mendes later in the match.
In the closing stages, Hakimi provided another assist, this time for Douai, who confidently slotted in the third goal with five minutes remaining, securing a resounding 3-0 victory for Paris.
Other games results come as follows :
- Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic
- Sporting Lisbon 1-2 Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Brest
- Aston Villa 3-2 Leipzig
