PSG vs Girona Review
Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their UEFA Champions League season with a 1-0 victory at Parc des Princes, but they had to put in significant effort to secure all three points against Girona, who faced disappointment in their first European match. The visitors were somewhat lucky to remain level after 15 minutes, as PSG created several scoring opportunities.
Girona managed to withstand the initial pressure and restricted the Parisian team to long-distance attempts from Fabián Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé. However, they were unable to create any opportunities of their own, resulting in a first half where neither team had a shot on target, marking the first time in nine matches that PSG did not score in the first half.
PSG had been averaging four goals per game this season, and although they finally forced Gazzaniga into action just two minutes into the second half, Ruiz’s weak shot did not indicate a change in their attacking approach. Meanwhile, Matvei Safonov had little to do on his PSG debut until the 52nd minute, when he deflected a header from Cristhian Stuani that was heading for goal. Girona’s attempt to push forward nearly cost them, as a swift counter-attack from Randal Kolo Muani set Dembélé up for a shot, but Krejčí managed to recover and executed a perfect tackle just as Dembélé was about to shoot.
It seemed like Girona had all the answers until the 90th minute when Gazzaniga allowed a low cross from Nuno Mendes to slip under him and roll into the net, securing a dramatic victory for the hosts. This late goal ensured PSG avoided the embarrassment of not scoring in three consecutive UCL matches for the first time, while Girona suffered only their second away loss in seven games.
