Paris Saint-Germain set a new UEFA Champions League record by scoring four times in just 16 minutes and two seconds against Villarreal in their fourth league-phase match.
The French side produced a remarkable opening at Villarreal, with Joao Neves starting the scoring in the ninth minute. Desire Doue doubled the visitors’ advantage three minutes later.
Senny Mayulu added a third in the 13th minute, before Fabian Ruiz completed the four-goal burst in the 17th minute.
The performance made Paris Saint-Germain the fastest team in Champions League history to score four goals in a single match, according to statistics from Mr Chip.
Their achievement surpassed the previous record held by Real Madrid, who scored four times in 20 minutes against Dinamo Zagreb in November 2011. Paris Saint-Germain’s record was set away from home.
The French club also became the first team to score three away goals within the opening 13 minutes of a Champions League match. That mark had previously been held by Borussia Dortmund, who scored three times in 17 minutes against Legia Warsaw in 2016.
Paris Saint-Germain’s early scoring also placed them alongside another French club in the competition’s record books. They became only the second French side to score four goals within the first 20 minutes of a Champions League match, after Stade de Reims achieved the feat against Ards of Northern Ireland on 8 October 1958, according to Stats Foot.
The result also extended Paris Saint-Germain’s strong scoring record in this season’s league phase. After four rounds, they have scored 18 goals, their best tally at this stage of the competition.
That total moves them beyond their previous record of 17 goals, set during the group stage of the 2017-18 season.