In what quickly became a spectacle of attacking intent, defensive frailty and unrelenting drama, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) dismantled Bayer Leverkusen 7–2 at the BayArena, leaving the home side stunned and vulnerable.
From the opening minutes it was clear that this was not to be a routine night. Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand must now wrestle with the consequences of a game that spiralled beyond control, while PSG under Luis Enrique stamped their authority in emphatic fashion.
The contest was barely seven minutes old when PSG’s wing-back Nuno Mendes delivered a dangerous cross into the box and Willian Pacho rose to head the visitors into the lead.
Almost immediately, Leverkusen found themselves chasing. What followed was five goals, two red cards and two penalties in the first half — an apt description for the chaos that ensued.
Leverkusen thought they had a lifeline after being awarded a penalty in the 25th minute, following a foul that triggered a spot-kick opportunity. But Alejandro Grimaldo’s attempt crashed off the post — a sign of how the night would unravel for the hosts.
Shortly thereafter, captain Robert Andrich was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for an elbow on Désiré Doué. Leverkusen’s dreams were now hanging by a thread. To add insult to injury, PSG were then reduced to ten men themselves when Illia Zabarnyi committed a foul on Christian Kofane and saw red.
The game — and the momentum — was slamming back and forth.
Rather than settle into chaos, PSG seized control. In the 41st minute Doué poked a finish past the keeper, then minutes later Khvicha Kvaratskhelia smashed one into the top corner off the post. As half-time approached, Doué curled home his second in stoppage time, giving PSG a 4–1 cushion at the break.
The magnitude of that first-half collapse will echo in Leverkusen’s dressing-room for days. Having played with ten men at times, being out-scored and out-paced, the home side had to regroup — but the respite was short-lived.
Right from the restart PSG picked up where they left off. Nuno Mendes volleyed in the fifth, and the flood-gates were open. Just over midway through the second half, Ousmane Dembélé entered the fray and added yet another goal, his lethal finish emphasising PSG’s depth and ruthless execution.
Leverkusen did muster a second goal — Aleix García converted his penalty later in the game — but it served as little more than a consolation in a match that had long ceased to be competitive. In the dying moments, Vitinha hammered home PSG’s seventh, sending the visitors home with a resounding statement.
For PSG this was more than just a win. It was a declaration of their European ambition. Having lifted the Champions League in the previous season, the Parisians needed to show that their dominance was not fleeting.
From the early Pacho header to the decisive contributions of Doué, Kvaratskhelia, Mendes, Dembélé and Vitinha, the team combined pressing intensity, clinical finishing and tactical flexibility. Leverkusen were overloaded in midfield, exposed in transitions and unable to handle the pace and movement of PSG’s attacking units.
The possession statistics told part of the story: PSG dominated nearly 70 percent of possession.
Leverkusen’s night will live long in the memory — though not for good reasons. Their lack of defensive discipline, the red cards, the two penalties conceded, and the inability to stem the tide all point to a side under serious pressure.