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PAUL POLO
Paris
Updated
NA difficult night for him PSG and sad for him Gironawhich is already seen with a meritorious draw in its debut Champions. But that soft finish of Nuno Mendesvery tilted, miraculously came across the Arc de Triomphe drawn by Gazzaniga’s legs. For Luis Enrique’s men, who have to play away against Bayern or Arsenal, and host Citynot winning in Paris against Michel’s team would have made life very complicated.
PSG 1-0 Girona: summary and goal of the match I Champions League (J1)
Girona, however, can go home with their heads held high. He held out almost until the end. They will say that he only had three shots on goal in PSG’s 26 minutes, that he lost possession, that he ended up scoring the bus, but above all in the first half and the first fifteen minutes of the second he held his own quite well.
Gazzaniga didn’t deserve this
Goal by Gazzaniga_ pp (1-0) in PSG 1-0 Girona
Football is sometimes cruel, very cruel. Gazzaniga had had a great game, especially with two great saves: one save to clear a ball that Dembl, the best player in the game, had put into the top corner, and another save against Achraf in the six-yard box. Girona died on the edge of the box, when they already saw a heroic draw, but Nuno Mendes made his way to the kitchen and a shot that seemed easy went under the goalkeeper’s legs. A pity and a fatality for Girona’s debut in this Champions League.
A robbery of Krejci to Dembl of great central
Krejci’s performance was certainly very good news for Girona. He had barely appeared this season under Michel and yesterday he showed signs of being a Champions League centre-back. Especially spectacular was how he stole the ball from Dembl after chasing the French gazelle from midfield. He arrived in time to take the ball from the ex-Barça player when the Parc des Princes was already celebrating goal. Dembl was not as accurate last night and that was despite having a good run of form. Not a single complaint, however, about a shot in the top corner that did not go in due to Gazzaniga’s save.
Asensio left injured
Bad luck for Asensio. The Balearic player has been a firm bet for Luis Enrique this season but he left injured before the break. It doesn’t seem like he’s much better. His place was taken by Kolo Muani who, to be honest, didn’t improve much. PSG’s most dangerous player was always Dembl. The French team’s attack didn’t succeed in their Champions League debut without Mbapp. Barcola is very good, but he’s not Kylian yet, even if he shows promise.
Against Girona, Mbapp was missing
It must be said that PSG were walking steadily until yesterday without Mbapp. Luis Enrique has a plan to replace Kylian’s 40-goal average, but among the four or five candidates who have to share Mbapp’s sack, none appeared. Or rather, they did appear because they had chances, but they crashed again and again against the Girona goal. Gazzaniga’s misfortune saved them.
Michel got the approach and the starting eleven right
The performance of a club like Girona in the Champions League must be applauded. It is true that, except for the start of the second half, Zafonov’s goal was hardly a problem, as he saved the balls that came to him well. But Michel’s men knew how to suffer and, above all, in the first half they tied Luis Enrique’s team down well with Van de Beek pressing high and a very active and incisive Bryan Gil. Luis Enrique’s men had won all their Ligue 1 matches by a wide margin and could not cope with a very organised opponent. Luck was also on their side, especially from the 70th minute onwards, when Paris was already besieging them. They did the most difficult thing, but they missed the easiest thing, that ball that went in through Gazzaniga’s goal.
