A little over four months after the heartbreak experienced against Dortmund in the semi-final of the Champions League in this same Parc des Princes (1-0, 2-0 aggregate score), PSG had a date with Girona, rookie in the event, this Wednesday. In fact, it was indeed a C1 match, in the application, we will find fault. This time, Paris will not have hit the woodwork 4 times, but it will not have been on target much more (6 shots on target out of 26 shots, but not a single one in the first half). They will finally be able to thank Gazzaniga, author of a nasty error in the last moments of the match, and which will have allowed Paris to win (1-0). In the first half however, Luis Enrique’s men disappointed for a long time, frustrated. A blocked shot from Warren Zaire-Emery (13th), another one too crossed by Marco Asensio (14th) after a great move by the Frenchman – one of the few to try to bring some life into this match – and finally a final deflected attempt by Fabian Ruiz (28th). And then after? A sequence of 2 minutes 30 of ball conservation by the Catalans without the Parisians being able to put an end to it, and then this exit due to injury of Marco Asensio before the break.
Certainly put back in line by Luis Enrique at the break, the Parisians came back with better intentions, but not enough to jump for joy either. The moments of heat intensified, first with this strike (finally on target) from Fabian Ruiz, but too soft to worry Gazzaniga, or this attempt from Hakimi. For his part, Safonov relaxed well on a Spanish header. The biggest situation was still Parisian. Launched into the depth by Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembélé had a boulevard to the goal, but ultimately wasted a huge opportunity. Rather than serve Barcola, or shoot, he advanced head first before being caught by an opposing defender in his area. This strong Parisian moment ended with an attempt from Dembélé, again, but his left-footed strike successively hit Gazzaniga and the crossbar (62nd). The goal was denied to Randal Kolo Muani about ten minutes later on a corner, then at the end of the match, when his shot from a tight angle, after a marvel of oriented control, flew off target (82nd). In turn, Hakimi came up against an XXL Gazzaniga (87th), but this same Gazzaniga, heroic until then, sabotaged his team on a harmless cross from Nuno Mendes in the final moments (91st). It was laborious, but Paris did it. Nevertheless, they will have to show a different face to hope to leave the Emirates with a result, in two weeks, against Arsenal.
