Author of a draw in Dortmund (1-1), PSG secured its place in the round of 16 of the Champions League. But it was hard for Enrique’s gang.
Next February, and for the 12e consecutive time, PSG will participate in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The French champions made it out of their qualifying group. However, it was not easy. Until the last moments of this group stage, Mbappé and his teammates must have trembled. The essential is done, but much more will have to be done next spring to hope to go further in this event.
PSG played with fire
The first period of this meeting was very open, but there were no goals scored. Between a liberated Dortmund and a PSG keen to score to take cover, the game was concentrated in the two surfaces. The chances were legion, except that the goalkeepers and defenses did the job to preserve their cages.
PSG had two clear attempts through Mbappé (17e) and Kolo Muani (45e). The first saw his shot miraculously released on his line by Niklas Sule, while the second came up against goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The former Frankfurter had already failed to score in the 24thejust like Lee Kang-In (16e) and Skriniar (16e). Dortmund was not at the alert level, given that Gianluigi Donnarumma had to pull out all the stops to deflect a shot from Marco Reus (26e).
photo credit: Panoramic
Mbappé was not successful against Dortmund.
Zaire-Emery relieves Parisians
By dint of trying, the difference ended up being made at the end of the match. And it was Borussia Dortmund who struck first. Shortly after half-time, Karim Adeyemi gave his team the lead with a shot into the box (51e). Paris was then at its worst, especially since the result of the other match (Newcastle – Milan) was not in its favor. But, fortunately, his period of doubt didn’t last very long. Five minutes after the opening score, parity was already restored.
To get back on track, Paris had to rely on its young talent, Warren Zaire-Emery. The new international took responsibility, with a point-blank shot attempted at the edge of the area. Slightly deviated, it ended up at the bottom. It was 1-1, it wasn’t enough to push but the boost came from England. By equalizing in their match against Newcastle, Milan propelled PSG into a qualifying position.
Paris can thank Milan
During the last half hour of the game, there was no further change in the score at Signal Iduna Park. This could have changed definitively on the Parisian side when Mbappé appeared behind the defenders to go and score the second (76th). But his achievement was refused for being offside by a few millimeters. An incident that the Ile-de-France residents did not have to regret, because in the other match Newcastle ended up losing. The capital team will not finish 1e of his group, but there will be no one in his camp to spit on this second place.
