Paris Saint-Germain recorded a fourth consecutive victory in the league phase of the Champions League after thrashing Villarreal 6-0 away from home. The French side settled the match early and have 12 points and a 20:5 goal difference after four rounds.
João Neves opened the scoring in the ninth minute, while Désiré Doué and Senny Mayulu made it 3-0 within the following four minutes. Fabián Ruiz scored in the 17th minute to make it 4-0, and the Spanish midfielder also netted the fifth goal shortly after the break. David Boly completed the scoring at 6-0 in the 78th minute after an assist from João Neves.
“We played in the same way and with the same ambition, without being influenced by the course of the match or the numbers on the scoreboard. When you maintain your style regardless of everything, that is always a good sign,” Luis Enrique said after the match.
The PSG coach stressed that his players had maintained their respect for the opposition and their high intensity until the end. “We showed respect to the opponent, but also maintained high intensity throughout all ninety minutes. It is extremely difficult for any team to recover after conceding three goals within five minutes,” said the Spanish coach.
Despite the convincing victory, Enrique also addressed the situation during the triple substitution in the 74th minute. Désiré Doué, Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi were due to leave the pitch, with Quentin Ndjantou, Lucas Beraldo and David Boly coming on. Because of a delay in the procedure, PSG were temporarily left with nine players.
Ndjantou was shown a yellow card after entering the pitch before space had been made for the substitution. It was this decision that prompted Enrique’s reaction. “What happened with the three substitutions is outrageous. If the score had been 0-0 and they left you with three fewer players, we would have to take it seriously,” said the coach, as quoted by AS.
Paris Saint-Germain will continue their title defence with a home match against Roma on November 25. Villarreal will travel to face Slavia Prague in the same round of the league phase.