All square between Paris and Benfica
Paris and Benfica once again cannot be separated, with another draw between the two clubs (1-1), but it is the Parisians who remain at the top of group H at the end of the fourth matchday of the Champions League group stage. A look back at the match.
One week after the first match in Lisbon, which saw Paris and Benfica battle to a draw (1-1), our Parisians had another meeting with the Lisboners at the Parc des Princes this Tuesday evening. With both teams leaders in their respective championships and unbeaten since the start of the season, the game promised to be another hotly contested encounter.
In a big game atmosphere, the Parisians quickly realised that this match would once again be a constant battle on the pitch. Intense, tactical and demanding, the game was going to be a mental as well as a physical test. The two sides set the tone from the outset, with high-speed exchanges and a desire to strike their opponents early. But the Red and Blue took the game by the scruff of the neck and were threatening every time there was an opening.
The intention was there, and all that was needed was for it to materialise. That's what Kylian Mbappé did, converting the penalty which gave his team the lead (1-0, 39'). With his 31st goal in the Champions League, he is now Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer in the competition. But far from being satisfied, he took the opportunity to try his luck again, with a wonderful curling shot that just missed the post (52').
The opening goal did not discourage the Lisbon side, who tried to get back into the game by pushing the Parisians into their own half. A strong will that was slowed down for a long time by the self-sacrifice of the defence, led by Danilo, but that eventually paid off in the end, as Joao Mario won and scored a penalty to equalise (1-1, 62').
In this situation, the Red and Blue had to find a second wind to try and retake the lead during a last quarter of an hour which was fast-paced and frantic. Both teams held out until the end, with the final minutes becoming end-to-end. Despite a final effort by Mbappé, whose goal was eventually flagged offside, the score remained the same until the final whistle.
So the result is therefore a stalemate between Paris and Benfica, and two weeks before the reception of Maccabi Haifa, the capital club remains leader of group H. Now it's time for the league, where another battle awaits our players, in a home Classique.