Paris Saint-Germain narrowly escaped with a 1-0 victory over Champions League debutants Girona, thanks to a late blunder by goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
In their opening match of the revamped competition, PSG dominated with over 60 percent possession and 24 shots, but were repeatedly frustrated by Girona’s resolute defense at the Parc des Princes.
However, in the 90th minute, Nuno Mendes delivered a low cross that Gazzaniga disastrously mishandled, allowing the ball to slip under him and secure PSG’s victory.
The defeat was a cruel outcome for Girona, making their first-ever appearance in European competition after a historic third-place finish in La Liga the previous season.
Despite the heartbreak, the Catalan side can take solace in their determined performance, which nearly earned them a memorable point.
Throughout the second half, PSG squandered a host of opportunities, seemingly on course for a goalless draw, reminiscent of last season’s painful semi-final exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund when they were shut out in both legs.
However, the fortuitous late strike kept Luis Enrique’s squad on track, continuing their perfect start to this campaign as they set their sights on surpassing last season’s semi-final run and claiming their elusive first Champions League title.
This season marks the debut of a dramatically restructured Champions League, with UEFA introducing a league format where each team plays eight matches against eight different opponents.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the Round of 16, while teams ranked from ninth to 24th will compete in a playoff to fill the remaining spots.
Looking ahead, PSG will face a tough away fixture against Arsenal, one of their many high-profile opponents in the new format, which also includes fixtures against Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Girona, despite this narrow defeat, will welcome Feyenoord for their next match with optimism, knowing their gritty display in Paris shows they can compete at this level.
PSG had entered the contest with plenty of momentum after a seamless start to their Ligue 1 campaign, winning their first four matches and scoring 16 goals in the process.
Yet Girona, who had been soundly beaten by Barcelona the previous weekend and were weakened by the loss of several key players over the summer, made life difficult for the French champions.
The Catalans absorbed significant pressure early on, aided by the fact that one section of the stadium was closed as a consequence of pyrotechnic use by PSG fans during last season’s semi-finals.
PSG’s lineup was missing their regular goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, giving Russian Matfey Safonov his debut in goal. Marco Asensio also limped off before halftime, with Randal Kolo Muani taking his place in the forward line.
In the second half, the action heated up, particularly in the penalty area. Safonov made a crucial save to deny Girona’s veteran captain, Cristhian Stuani, whose header threatened to give the visitors a shock lead just seven minutes after the break.
PSG’s Ousmane Dembele then showcased his blistering pace, surging half the length of the field before being denied by a perfectly-timed tackle from Girona defender Ladislav Krejci.
Dembele, now PSG’s main attacking threat following the departure of Kylian Mbappe in the summer, was unlucky on several occasions.
He saw one effort saved by Gazzaniga and another rebound off the post in quick succession, as PSG continued to push forward. Kolo Muani also came close, producing a brilliant turn inside the box, only for his shot to slide wide of the far post.
As time ticked away, Achraf Hakimi thought he had broken the deadlock with a close-range effort, but Gazzaniga produced a superb save to keep his team level. However, the Argentinian goalkeeper’s earlier heroics were overshadowed by his late mistake, as Mendes’s low cross slipped through his grasp and into the net, gifting PSG all three points.
Despite the defeat, Girona can hold their heads high, knowing they made a strong first impression on European football’s biggest stage.
