Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) revived their Champions League hopes with a commanding 3-0 victory over Salzburg in Austria on Tuesday. Goals from Gonçalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes, and Désiré Doué secured a much-needed win for the French giants, who had struggled to find form in this season’s competition.
This marked PSG’s first victory since their narrow 1-0 triumph over Girona on the opening matchday in September, ending a run of disappointing defeats against Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich. The win also doubled their goal tally in the tournament, providing a timely boost to their chances of reaching the knockout phase.
Luis Enrique’s side now sit in 24th place in the 36-team standings, occupying the final qualifying position for the next stage with seven points. They remain level on points with Feyenoord, who trail on goal difference but could leapfrog PSG with a positive result against Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
Ramos, returning after a three-month injury absence, opened the scoring in the 30th minute by stretching to convert Achraf Hakimi’s knockdown. Mendes doubled the lead midway through the second half, slotting home after a clever cutback from Doué. The 18-year-old substitute then sealed the victory with a late strike following another excellent assist from Hakimi.
The win keeps PSG’s hopes alive, but challenges remain with crucial fixtures against Manchester City and Stuttgart awaiting in January. Luis Enrique will be eager to build on this performance as his team fights for a place in the knockouts.
Salzburg’s campaign, meanwhile, has been disappointing, with five defeats in six matches leaving them on the brink of elimination.
