Vitinha shines as PSG come from behind to beat Spurs

PARIS :Holders Paris St Germain showed a never-say-die attitude as they twice came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-3 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with two moments of brilliance from Vitinha steering Luis Enrique’s side to victory.

PSG looked fragile at the back, conceding twice from defensive lapses and showing some of the same issues that contributed to their 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the previous round, but they responded with greater control and efficiency to turn the match around at the Parc des Princes.

Vitinha bagged a hat-trick with two fine strikes and a penalty, while Pacho and Fabian Ruiz also scored for PSG, who were made to work after Tottenham twice led through Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, the France forward finishing with a double.

After four victories in five games, PSG, who finished with 10 men after Lucas Hernandez was sent off in stoppage time, are second in the league phase standings, on course for direct qualification to the last 16, while Tottenham are 16th on eight points.

Fabian Ruiz went close with a left-footed attempt that drifted just wide in the eighth minute, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also curled a shot narrowly past the post as both sides started brightly.

On captain Marquinhos’s 500th appearance for the club, PSG appeared to miss the absent Achraf Hakimi, with midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery filling in at right back.

Ousmane Dembele, recently back from injury, began on the bench while academy graduate Quentin Ndjantou started up front.

'SWITCHED ON'

"Very good performance. I wanted us not to concede — that would have made it the perfect evening — but we won. Tottenham prepared well and exploited our weaknesses, but we stayed in the game," said Marquinhos.

"The attitude