French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) capitalised on a last-minute error by Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to secure a narrow 1-0 victory in their UEFA Champions League opener on Wednesday.
Despite dominating with over 60% possession and 24 attempts on goal, PSG appeared destined for a frustrating draw at the Parc des Princes. However, in the 90th minute, a low cross from Nuno Mendes slipped under Gazzaniga, gifting PSG the decisive goal.
It was a cruel outcome for Girona, who were making their European debut after a historic third-place finish in La Liga last season. PSG struggled to convert numerous chances in the second half, reminiscent of their scoreless semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund last season.
“We were much better in the second half. We got a bit of luck with the goal but deserved the victory,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, as his team aims to build on last season’s semi-final run and capture their first Champions League title.
PSG will next face Arsenal, while Girona will host Feyenoord, encouraged by their strong performance despite the result. Girona, meanwhile, will go on to a home clash against Feyenoord with reason to believe they can make an impact after a battling performance here.
“The goal at the end hurts but I think we gave a good account of ourselves,” said Michel, the Girona coach.
“I am sad about the result, but we are a humble club, this was our first Champions League game and we showed that we were up to it.”
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