Villarreal’s supporters had barely settled into their seats when the scoreboard already read 4-0. According to Paris Saint-Germain’s official match report, the French champions had rewritten the competition’s record for the fastest-ever four-goal haul just 16 minutes and two seconds after kick-off.
It was also the biggest away win in the club’s Champions League history.
João Neves headed in from a corner in the 9th minute after Willian Pacho’s deflection teed him up six metres out. Three minutes later, Maghnes Akliouche’s pass released Désiré Doué, who curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. In the 13th, Senny Mayulu pounced on the rebound after Renato Veiga blocked a Neves shot and volleyed home. Four minutes after that, Fabián Ruiz converted another Akliouche assist with a half-volley just inside the post, and the record was set.
Boly caps the rout at 17 years and 285 days
Ruiz added his second in the 50th minute. The Spaniard was the only player with a brace on the night, but the last word belonged to a teenage substitute making his continental bow.
Read also: Trump launches fresh attack on NFL: ‘Who the hell wants to watch football?’
David Boly came off the bench in the 76th minute and curled a shot past Péter Gulácsi from a Neves cross two minutes later. At 17 years and 285 days old, the defender became PSG’s second-youngest Champions League goalscorer, behind only Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Luis Enrique: ‘I wasn’t expecting that’
The defending champions did this without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, captain Marquinhos or Nuno Mendes, all absent from the matchday squad.
“I obviously wasn’t expecting that but you get matches where you start in that way,” Luis Enrique said in comments carried by AFP.
“We were impressive throughout and we are really pleased even if it is very difficult for Villarreal.”
Read also: “Silence at mile 23”: how 24-year-old Rachel Apa died during NYC Marathon
Four from four at the top
The result stretched PSG’s winning run to ten games across all competitions and left them top of the Champions League league phase with a perfect twelve points from four matches, three points clear of the field.
Read also: Ballon d’Or clause revealed: Bayern Munich must pay Harry Kane a sum running into the millions
