Paris Saint-Germain produced a commanding performance to thrash Villarreal 6-0 away from home on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League league stage. Luis Enrique's side wrapped up the contest within the first fifteen minutes through a devastating attacking display.
João Neves opened the scoring in the 9th minute. Désiré Doué doubled the lead three minutes later, assisted by Maghnes Akliouche. Senny Mayulu added a third a minute after that, before Fabián Ruiz capped the blistering spell with a fourth goal in the 17th, again from an Akliouche pass. The Spanish midfielder then completed his brace early in the second half, in the 50th minute, following a Vitinha assist. Substitute David Boly compounded the scoreline late on (78th) after a Neves through ball.
Villarreal, reduced to ten men after Álvaro Mouriño's second-half dismissal, never found an answer. Parisian goalkeeper Safonov was only called into action twice. Luis Enrique was able to make multiple substitutions, introducing the likes of Mika Godts, Ferrán Torres and Lucas Beraldo.
The comprehensive win solidifies Paris Saint-Germain's position at the top of their group, with a perfect record of four wins from four matches. The Parisian club, who also lead Ligue 1 with 20 points from nine games, are in strong form. This result is part of an impressive run of three wins and two losses in their last five matches across all competitions, and they are currently on a two-game winning streak. Paris Saint-Germain, with 21 goals scored and 10 conceded in the league, hold a two-point lead over Lille at the summit. They will host AS Roma at the Parc des Princes on November 25 for their next European fixture.
Paris Saint-Germain showed ruthless efficiency with 12 shots on target from 22 attempts, compared to Villarreal's mere 2. Possession was overwhelmingly in their favour at 71%. This collective performance, with six different scorers, highlights the squad's attacking depth. Ferran Torres, the club's top scorer in the league this season with 4 goals in nine appearances, was not even required to find the net on this occasion. The next challenge is to maintain this momentum against Troyes. The Villarreal match followed a 5-1 win at Le Havre on 30 October, where Achraf Hakimi notably scored a hat-trick, and a 2-0 victory over Lyon on 26 October.
Paris Saint-Germain confirmed its top spot in the Champions League group with 12 points after four matches, according to official data. Manager Luis Enrique praised his team's mentality after the 6-0 win over Villarreal. "You have to show you have the ambition and desire to win," the coach said in a press conference. The club, top of Ligue 1 with 20 points, will face Troyes on Saturday.
Portuguese midfielder João Neves, who scored the opening goal against Villarreal, reacted to Paris's demonstration. "I don't think so, but we put a lot of pressure," Neves said when asked about the impression of fear given to opponents. Paris Saint-Germain, leading Ligue 1 with 20 points and on a five-game winning run, will face Troyes on Saturday.
On November 4, Luis Enrique reacted after becoming the most successful manager in Paris Saint-Germain's history with 127 wins in 188 matches. "The most positive thing is that I am more ambitious and more confident than when I arrived," the coach said. The club, leading Ligue 1 with 20 points and on a five-game winning streak, will face Troyes on Saturday.
On November 5, the club confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain scored four goals in under 17 minutes against Villarreal, a record in Champions League history according to the RMC network.
