Girona's Champions League debut marred by Gazzaniga's late blunder, leading to Paris Saint-Germain's narrow 1-0 victory
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a 1-0 home victory over Champions League debutants Girona in a closely contested match at Parc des Princes. The winning goal, a costly late blunder, was scored by Paulo Gazzaniga in the 90th minute.
In the first half, Girona's defense effectively neutralized PSG's attack, denying the French champions numerous opportunities to score. However, the second half saw PSG begin to dominate possession, creating several chances, but Randal Kolo Muani and Achraf Hakimi both missed from close range.
Despite PSG's efforts, the game remained scoreless until the 90th minute when a harmless low delivery across goal slipped through Gazzaniga's grasp, resulting in an own goal. This was the first ever winner scored in the competition.
The own goal marked a significant milestone for Girona, as it was the first in a Champions League game since November 2022, scored by Porto's Ivan Marcano against Atletico Madrid.
The victory for PSG was their 29th in the Champions League group stage at home since the 2012-13 campaign, with only one loss in 37 games (W29 D7). The Parc des Princes remains unbeaten for visiting teams in the competition, with only one win in the last 29 attempts (D8 L20).
Michel is the manager of Girona, who put up a valiant effort against the experienced PSG side. Despite the loss, Girona can take pride in their performance, particularly in the first half where they managed to keep PSG's attack at bay.
The match marked Girona's Champions League debut, and while they may have lost, they showed promise for the future in Europe's premier club competition. PSG, on the other hand, continue their strong home record in the Champions League, but will need to improve their finishing if they are to challenge for the title this season.
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