At the BayArena, on October 21, 2025, the Paris-Saint-Germain, European champion, crushed Bayer Leverkusen 2–7 during the 3rd matchday of the league phase. Three goals were scored in seven minutes before the break. Then, a penalty was missed, but another was converted. Additionally, two expulsions changed everything. Leading with 9 points, Paris claims, Luis Enrique displays the ambition to win everything in the Champions League.
Major Highlights
Score: 2–7 for PSG at the BayArena in Leverkusen, during the 3rd matchday of the league phase of the Champions League, on October 21, 2025. Paris, titleholder, continues with a 3/3 and takes the lead alone in the championship phase.
Scorers: Willian Pacho (7th), Désiré Doué (41st, 45th+3), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (44th), Nuno Mendes (50th), Ousmane Dembélé (66th), Vitinha (90th) for PSG, Aleix Garcia (38th p., 54th) for Leverkusen. Two expulsions: Robert Andrich (33rd, Bayer) and Illia Zabarnyi (37th, PSG). An initially missed penalty by Alejandro Grimaldo (26th, post) then a second converted by Garcia.
The Story of a Match Turned in Seven Minutes
Paris planted a flag as early as the 7th minute: corner by Mendes, victorious header by Pacho. Leverkusen had the chance to extinguish the spark: handball by Zabarnyi, Grimaldo hits the post on penalty.
Then came the emotional shift: Andrich is sent off for an inconsiderate gesture, before Zabarnyi leaves his teammates with ten as well, guilty on Kofane and sanctioned with a red plus penalty, Garcia equalizing.
Far from falling apart, Paris hardened: 41st to 45th+3, three goals in seven minutes. Doué restored the lead, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia changed the match: top-corner shot and key passes, Doué signs his double, precise curl at the base of the post. After the break, Mendes swallows the depth launched by Vitinha (1–5), Garcia reduces (2–5), Dembélé enters and scores with a sharp shot (2–6), Vitinha closes the evening (2–7).
PSG’s Game Plan: Vitinha as Conductor and High Pressing
Luis Enrique played his favorite score: high pressing coordinated on the first release, central control around the duo Vitinha – Warren Zaïre-Emery, and highly-repeated external circuits via Hakimi and Mendes. The idea: overload one side to isolate the weak winger on the opposite side. Paris triggered the pressure when the German carrier oriented back to the game. Moreover, this pressure intensified on a control towards the inside. Result: provoked ball losses, almost mechanical transitions, and temporal superiorities created around the Parisian carrier.
Defensively, the rearguard accepted one-on-ones over a large perimeter, compensated by a short fallback of the midfielders. Key sequences:
- Sharp exits by Pacho in front of Echeverri,
- Corridors locked by Mendes/Hakimi who quickly reverse to the weak side,
- Ball carrying by Vitinha to fix, then reverse.
The psychological shift nestled between the 41st and 45th+3: Paris converted three attacks in seven minutes. Leverkusen then lost its distances, defending too wide after Andrich’s exclusion, the Parisians struck where space opened.
Tops/Flops: Mini-Portraits and Ratings
Tops
- Vitinha (8.5/10). Conductor. He breaks lines by running, orients correctly, serves Mendes on the 1–5 and closes the evening with a clean shot. Determinant tempo reading.
- Désiré Doué (8/10). Two precise gestures at crucial moments: cross call before the break, first post curl in added time. Sharp between the lines.
- Nuno Mendes (8/10). Decisive cross at the start (corner of the 0–1), depth attacked with rage on the 1–5. Modern full-back: projection and accuracy.
- Ousmane Dembélé (7.5/10) impact player: goal and offensive volume.
- Willian Pacho (7.5/10). Inaugural goal and high interventions that stifled the first opposing exits.
Flops
- Robert Andrich (3/10). Poorly controlled gesture, negative turning point. His exclusion opens the structural breach.
- Alejandro Grimaldo (4/10). Penalty on the post, corridor exposed on Parisian reversals.
- Illia Zabarnyi (4/10). A paradoxical match: heavy fouls with consequences, red and penalty conceded, despite a solid start.
Other ratings (PSG): Hakimi (7) — constant projection; Zaïre-Emery (7) — mastery under pressure, Kvaratskhelia (7.5) — initiative taking and crucial goal.
Media Receptions: Admiration, Astonishment, and Lucidity
In Spain, the magnitude of the score was read as a "lesson in reality".
In Germany, comments oscillated between astonishment and tactical analysis. They mentioned a class difference on transitions. Management errors appeared after the equalization. Furthermore, defensive reorganization was poorly assured and the left corridor vulnerable.
In France, the focus was on the collective mastery and the affirmation of a status.
Words and Tone from the Locker Room (Sourced Quotes)
Exact and attributed quotes:
- Luis Enrique, post-match conference (quotes collected by Reuters, October 21, 2025, BayArena mixed zone): "The feeling is very positive because we played very well"; and again: "We did our homework, as usual. We are proud of this team."
- Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen coach (same source and date): "We are feeling a lot of pain right now… The decisive minutes were those seven minutes."
These statements highlight the Parisian confidence and the German lucidity on the turning point at the end of the first half.
Data and Sensations: What the Influence Zones Say
Luis Enrique claimed a total ambition: maintaining the standards of the European champion team, "winning everything" remaining a horizon and not a slogan. The coach praised the quality of the collective, the form of Vitinha, and the contribution of the substitutes. On the players’ side, Dembélé emphasized the clarity of roles and emotional management after the equalization: not to scatter, restart from a short block, strike quickly. Pacho enjoyed his first goal in red and blue, symbol of a defense that did not retreat after the first act’s tremors.
Advanced Data & Methodology (xG, Shots, Zones)
Sources and method Data from Opta feeds (publicly aggregated via FotMob, mention "Real-time extensive stats powered by Opta"), complemented by the UEFA match center and the referee’s report. Timestamp of consultation: October 22, 2025, 10:30 AM (Europe/Paris). The xG metrics rely on an event-based model (distance, angle, type of action, position of defenders and goalkeeper, body part, pass context). The shot maps and influence zones reflect the distribution of attempts and progressions.
Match reading by data (Opta/FotMob; UEFA for events):
- Key sequence confirmed: 3 Parisian goals in 7 minutes (41st–45th+3).
- Penalties: one shot on the post (Grimaldo), one converted (García); two expulsions (Andrich, Zabarnyi).
- Trends: Parisian superiority in transitions and volumes in the left half-space (Mendes/Kvaratskhelia), decisive finishes by Doué in the zone of truth.
Technical references: Opta (via FotMob) for xG/shot maps; UEFA.com for match sheet and incidents, PSG.fr for "Stats & facts" club.
Champions League Standings (UEFA) and Schedule
League phase standings: Paris is at the top with 9 points/3 matches, Leverkusen at 2 points after three matchdays (updated UEFA table). Upcoming official schedule: PSG – Bayern (MD4, October 22, 2025, evening according to UEFA programming) then a trip to Athletic Club in the series, Leverkusen travels to Benfica (MD4).
Official sources: UEFA Standings (table "League phase"), UEFA Schedule & Results, UEFA matchday calendar PDF.
Player Focus: Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
Désiré Doué. His match turns in the heart of the turmoil. Cross calls against the central, information intake before control, surgical finish. His palette: left-hand drive, short hook, sharp shot. The winger also helped lock the first German release.
Ousmane Dembélé. Entry as an impact player. First ball attacked, orientation towards the axis, immediate shot taking. He scores and frees up spaces for Barcola. His presence keeps the German line in retreat, preventing collective advancement.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He changes the atmosphere with an almost baroque goal (double post) and a pass that opens the angle to Doué. Short dribble, fixations, diagonals: a constant source of uncertainties for the opposing hinge.
Leverkusen: Exposed Flaws
The exit pressing was often triggered with a delay, exposing the last curtain.
Andrich’s exclusion disarticulated the midfield zone, forcing Garcia to cover too wide. On Parisian fast attacks, the rebalancing did not follow: delay in covering the second post, vast intervals between lateral and axial. Hjulmand tried to adjust, but the equalization did not solidify his lines.
Upcoming Matches and Stakes
The Parisian dynamic projects towards an announced clash away against a European giant during the 4th matchday.
Objective: lock the competitive advantage in the cumulative standings and manage the bodies. Leverkusen, meanwhile, prepares for a heated trip to Benfica: pivotal match to stay connected to the qualifying train.
What Recent History Says
The PSG European champion in 2025 has modified its reflexes: fewer unnecessary back-and-forths, more emotional control and an ability to accelerate in bursts. In Leverkusen, this took the form of a seven-minute tsunami, an image of a team that knows how to choose its moments.
Assumed Leadership, Focus on the Future
At the BayArena, Paris imposed its law without excess: intensity, lucidity, depth. Seven goals, cool heads under heat, ravaged corridors, and a provisional hierarchy reminded. The league phase has not delivered its verdict, but the PSG has planted a clear bookmark: in Europe, it still knows how to dictate the pace.