An improved Tottenham were unable to hold on as they surrendered two leads against European champions PSG and fell to a 5-3 defeat in the Champions League.
With a header that alone surpassed Spurs’ xG at the Emirates, Richarlison scored his third in as many games to give Thomas Frank’s side the initiative, while Randal Kolo Muani netted against his parent club as the visitors led on two occasions at the Parc des Princes.
However, a hat-trick from Vitinha inspired Luis Enrique’s side to turn on the style and inflict more misery on Spurs, who fall further away from a place in the top eight of the league phase.
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Richarlison opened the scoring to give Spurs their first of two leads on the night
Team news
Thomas Frank made five changes to the team who lost 4-1 to Arsenal in the north London derby, returning to a back four with Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall joining the midfield.
Marquinhos captained PSG in his 500th appearance for the club, while Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele returned to the bench after injury.
Pressure was on Frank to produce a similar performance to the one that saw them come agonisingly close to winning the UEFA Super Cup against the Parisians in August, especially off the back of their atrocious display in the north London derby, where they recorded a season low xG of 0.07.
After a stern defensive start, they were handed their reward as Djed Spence picked out Kolo Muani at the back post, with the striker able to head down to Richarlison to score from close range.
Vitinha scored his first of two stunners to level before the break, but Kolo Muani retook the lead for Spurs as he capitalised at a set piece to smash home a volley against his employer.
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Vitinha equalised twice for PSG with two stunning strikes
Spurs capitulated under the pressure though, with three goals in 11 minutes turning the game on its head. Vitinha produced another sumptuous solo effort to equalise, before Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho punished some poor defending to take a stranglehold of the game.
Kolo Muani halved the deficit with his well-worked second, but Vitinha would scored his hat-trick just five minutes later to ensure the points remained in Paris.
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Randal Kolo Muani scored twice against his parent club
There was yet more late drama as substitute Lucas Hernandez was shown a red card upon a VAR review after elbowing Xavi Simon’s face off the ball, but it ultimately had no bearing on the result.
Victory for PSG means they sit second with four wins from five in the Champions League league phase, while Tottenham drop down to 16th but just two points off the top eight.
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Fabian Ruiz gave PSG their first lead of the evening.
‘Spurs showed soul and character,’ claims Frank
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Thomas Frank believed his Spurs side showed ‘soul and character’ in defeat against PSG
Despite the result Tottenham boss Frank believed his side showed promise after their defeat at Arsenal.
He told TNT Sports: “I’m very pleased with the performance. I liked the bounce-back from the last game.
“It was much more the identity of the team, the aggressiveness, the bravery, running, everything I was very pleased. The two strikers scoring three goals between them and Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were really good.
“But you can’t concede the two goals like we did if you want to here and Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world – he’ll win the next Ballon d’Or.
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Richarlison gave Tottenham the lead after a disciplined start
“It was two completely different games – we saw much more of what I want. Today we competed. We saw a team with soul and character.”
Gray: ‘We can take positives into Fulham game’
Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray speaking to TNT Sports:
“We played against a top opponent tonight and they’re the champions of Europe, not only the best team in Europe at the moment.
Player ratings:
PSG: Chevalier (5), Zaire-Emery (5), Marquinhos (6), Willian Pacho (7), Mendes (5), Neves (8), Vitinha (10), Ruiz (8), Kvaratskhelia (7), Ndjantou (6), Barcola (6)
Subs: Hernandez (3), Lee (7), Ramos (6), Dembele (6), Zabarnyi (N/A)
Tottenham: Vicario (5), Porro (6), Romero (5), Van de Ven (5), Spence (4), Sarr (5), Bentancur (7), Gray (6), Bergvall (6), Kolo Muani (9), Richarlison (7)
Subs: Palhinha (5), Kudus (6), Udogie (N/A), Simons (N/A). Odobert (N/A)
Player of the Match: Vitinha
“There were some good moments for us that we can take into Fulham.
“We scored some goals, so we can definitely take them. Obviously, there are some things that we can work on, but like I said, they’re a top, top team and there’s always going to be moments against those teams that you’re going to suffer a little bit. I think just learning how to suffer a little bit better for us is one of the things.
“In every aspect of the game, they’re relentless in the way they play and they keep going and don’t stop doing the things that they’re doing.
“Obviously, they’ve got that individual class, especially when you see Dembele coming off the bench and Goncalo Ramos coming off the bench. They’re a top team and there’s things that we can learn from this game.”