PARIS — The arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Paris Saint-Germain has significantly elevated the performance of winger Bradley Barcola in the Champions League.
In a dominant display, Barcola contributed one goal, one assist, and was involved in another goal as PSG triumphed over Brest with a staggering 7-0 scoreline, securing a spot in the round of 16 with an overwhelming 10-0 aggregate victory.
Barcola could have added even more to his tally, but he was substituted off when the match stood at 3-0, with PSG already in a comfortable position. This match saw PSG achieve a milestone, becoming the first club to have seven distinct players score in a single Champions League match. They narrowly missed out on the record for the largest margin of victory — set at eight goals by Liverpool against Besiktas in 2007 and matched by Real Madrid against Malmo in 2015.
Since Kvaratskhelia joined the squad from Napoli in mid-January, the 22-year-old Barcola has notably scored three goals across four Champions League fixtures, a sharp contrast to his earlier performance where he hadn’t scored in the tournament.
The fresh attacking lineup curated by PSG coach Luis Enrique includes 19-year-old talent Désiré Doué and precise striker Gonçalo Ramos, prompting Barcola to step up his game. He quickly made his mark with an equalizing strike during the 4-2 victory against Manchester City, merely five days after Kvaratskhelia joined, and followed up with an opening goal in a 4-1 win at Stuttgart that confirmed PSG’s advancement to the playoff stage.
Barcola found the net first against Brest in the 20th minute, racing onto a long pass from midfielder Fabián Ruiz, skillfully maneuvering past defender Massadio Haïdara, and finishing neatly into the net with his left foot.
He also elegantly assisted Kvaratskhelia’s second goal, flicking a ball that allowed the Georgian winger to score from a tight angle in the 39th minute. This marked Kvaratskhelia’s initial goal for PSG in European competition since his acquisition for an estimated fee of 70 million euros (around $72 million).
Barcola, working in tandem with Ruiz, set up Vitinha to score the third goal from the edge of the penalty area before Enrique substituted Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, substituting in Doué and Ramos, who went on to score as well. Nuno Mendes and Senny Mayulu also found the net for PSG.
Looking ahead, PSG will face a significantly tougher challenge next, with potential opponents including six-time champions Liverpool or five-time titleholders Barcelona.
For Brest, their experience in European competition concluded in disappointment, finishing in mid-table obscurity within Ligue 1 after a string of four consecutive defeats and a total of 15 goals allowed.
This loss marked Brest’s third defeat against PSG this month alone, following a 5-2 loss in Ligue 1 earlier, raising their season total against PSG to four defeats, including a prior league match that ended 3-1.
Midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou expressed his feelings candidly following the heavy defeat. “We understood it was a daunting task (ahead of the return leg),” he remarked during an interview with Canal Plus. “However, it’s quite disheartening to exit in such a manner — 7-0 is excessive. A loss of this magnitude borders on professional negligence.”
