Paris Saint-Germain handed Barcelona their first defeat of the season, beating the Spanish giants 4-2 in a thrilling UEFA Champions League league-phase clash at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.

Barcelona fought back twice to level the score, but the defending champions struck twice late in the match to secure their third consecutive victory in the competition.

The defeat ended Barcelona’s run of 11 consecutive wins this season and exposed weaknesses in their defence.

PSG dominated much of the first half, forcing Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia to make several important saves. However, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Desire Doue found the net.

Barcelona restored parity in the 55th minute through Javi Espart, giving the visitors renewed hope.

PSG regained the lead in the 72nd minute when Lucas Hernandez headed home from a corner. But Barcelona responded again, with Lamine Yamal producing an impressive finish in the 79th minute to make it 2-2.

The match appeared finely balanced, but Barcelona’s hopes of securing a result quickly faded.

Vitinha fired PSG ahead for the third time in the 81st minute with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.

Five minutes later, Fabian Ruiz capitalised on a pass from Achraf Hakimi to score PSG’s fourth goal and seal the victory.

Barcelona pushed forward in the closing minutes but failed to find another goal.

The victory gave PSG nine points from three matches, allowing them to retain the top position in the Champions League league-phase standings.

For Barcelona, the defeat brought their impressive winning streak to an end and raised further concerns about their defensive vulnerabilities.