PSG players, beaten again by Juventus, eliminated in the accession play-offs

The Parisiennes, who quickly chased the score on Thursday, lost (1-2) and will not play in the group stage of the C1.

France Télévisions – Sports Editorial

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The disappointment of Marie-Antoinette Katoto during the elimination of the PSG women's team against Juventus in the play-offs for accession to the Champions League, on September 26, 2024, at the PSG Campus (Poissy). (DAVID WINTER / SIPA)

The most important match of the Parisiennes season came to an end. Beaten in the play-off for the first leg of the Champions League by Juventus (3-1) eight days ago, Griedge Mbock and his partners absolutely had to react, Thursday, September 26, on their home ground in Poissy during the return match.

Failed from the first seconds (0-1), the vice-champions of France only maintained hope for a few minutes, at the start of the second period, before seeing the Italians once again go ahead in the score, so definitive (1-2). PSG, which made four semi-finals in the last five C1 campaigns, has already been eliminated from the most prestigious European competition.

The status of favorites which stuck to the shoes of the Parisian players before this double clash against Juve has come to an end. In Italy, then at the PSG campus this Thursday, Fabrice Abriel’s players showed almost nothing. Not very enterprising, they suffered from opposing pressure from the start of a meeting that was nevertheless decisive for their European future. Less than 120 seconds after kick-off, Sofia Cantore opened the scoring after a huge mix-up in the French area (0-1, 2nd), throwing a big cold in the stands and on the pitch…

Groggy, the Parisiennes slowly tried to raise their heads. But we had to wait until the 38th minute to witness their first strike. The boost at the end of the first period, with a header from Paulina Dudek who died a few centimeters from Pauline Peyraud-Magnin’s post (44th) was not enough to equalize. Returning from the locker room, Romee Leuchter, fresh off the bench, achieved this by converting her penalty (1-1, 53rd). But proof of the excitement of Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s teammates, a few seconds later, it was Mary Earps’ left post which allowed us to still believe in it (55th)… The helmet hit at the near post on a corner for Barbara Bonansea’s Juve (1-2, 72nd) sounded the death knell for the last hopes of the Parisians.

With the probable elimination of Paris FC against Manchester City (5-0 in the first leg), there will only be one French team entered in the group stage of the Champions League (OL), a first since 2013-2014. Also, as Le Parisien pointed out this Thursday, this early elimination of PSG would represent a shortfall of around 400,000 euros at least, or nearly 5% of the capital club’s annual operating budget.


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