Paris Saint-Germaine benefited from an embarrassing late blunder from LA Liga side Girona to record maximum points in the Day One fixtures of the UEFA Champions League.
The game was heading to a goalless before the Champions League debutants made the mistake that made them leave Parc de Princes empty-handed on Wednesday night.
The hosts got lucky and won, as the visitors’ goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, let a Nuno Mendes cross slip through his legs and into the net.
The hosts kept piling more pressure on their visitors, and their relentless PSG pressure eventually produced a win as Mendes” low ball across the goal slipped through Gazzaniga’s grasp during stoppage time to earn them victory.
Before the goalie error, qaGirona’s defense had effectively neutralized PSG’s attack in the first half, causing mounting frustration for the hosts as they struggled to break them down.
The debutants seemed content with a draw as they began to waste time, drawing boos from the Parc des Princes crowd.
Randal Kolo Muani and Achraf Hakimi had late chances to give them a win, but both missed from close range in the dying minutes before Gazzinga’s error.
Girona qualified for the prestigious European clubs tournament for the first time in their history after finishing third in La Liga last season.
They were composed, sat back, and mostly nullified PSG, which registered 26 shots without one of its players scoring.
France forward Ousmane Dembele couldn’t open the goal chart for the hosts, but his curling effort hit the crossbar and was snatched from his feet by an excellent Ladislav Krejci tackle when he charged towards the visitors’ goal.
Apart from being spurred on by their vocal traveling supporters, Girona sat back but passed effectively, which made life difficult for PSG. As a result, they offered little threat and were reduced to finding a way to see off PSG’s waves of attacks.
Having labored for an opener and found it difficult to create much, they eventually won when Gazzaniga failed to make a simple save at the death.
Girona will host Feyenoord on matchday 2, Wednesday, October 2, while PSG travel to Arsenal on Tuesday, October 1.
