After giving the impression of being unable to find the back of the net, the capital club was able to celebrate thanks to an error by the opposing goalkeeper at the very end of the match (1-0).
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How tough it was. Paris Saint-Germain had to push until the end to get the better of Girona (1-0) for their entry into the 2024-2025 Champions League, Wednesday, September 18. Faced with the surprise of the last Liga season, stripped of most of its best players in the summer and totally inexperienced in C1, Luis Enrique’s players believed for a long time that their domination would never be realized. But an almost innocuous and deflected shot from Nuno Mendes allowed the Parc des Princes to exult in the 90th minute, the opposing goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga completely missing the mark.
Nothing suggested that this team, so attractive since its return to Ligue 1, would have so much trouble getting rid of one of the most affordable opponents in its European calendar. As it still happens, the Parisian club somewhat failed. After lacking presence and cutting edge in the area in the first half, we found this team particularly clumsy when it came to concluding in the second half.
Like their last Champions League outings, against Dortmund in the spring, Luis Enrique’s team gave the impression that the ball would never end up making the net quiver. The 26th shot (compared to three for the Catalans) was the right one. Before that, Ousmane Dembélé wasted an improbable counterattack (55th) and Achraf Hakimi shot from point-blank range at the opposing goalkeeper two meters from the line (85th). Even when the shot was good, the crossbar had decided to get involved (in concert with Gazzaniga), as on Dembélé’s curling shot (62nd).
But in the end, the three points are well in the pocket of the outgoing semi-finalist. This season, the Champions League has changed its format and only the top eight of this phase, grouped into a single group of 36, will be assured of seeing the round of 16. In order to avoid having to go through a two-legged play-off (if Paris finishes between 9th and 24th place), the Parisians will not be able to burn many wild cards, even less at home, and especially against the most affordable opponents. In two weeks, three more points will be up for grabs, but the challenge will be much tougher. It is on Arsenal’s pitch that Marquinhos and his teammates will try to take another step in the right direction.