Paris denied by solid PSV

Three days after their victory against RC Strasbourg Alsace in Ligue 1 (4-2), Paris returned to the European stage to host PSV Eindhoven. In an effort to secure another victory at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique fielded a central defensive pairing of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, with Gianluigi Donnarumma guarding the Parisian goal. Achraf Hakimi reclaimed his spot on the right flank, with Nuno Mendes on the opposite side. In midfield, João Neves was deployed as a defensive midfielder, flanked by Warren Zaïre-Emery and Fabian Ruiz. Up front, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola took their places on the wings, supporting Lee Kang-In, who started in a false 9 role.

From the very get go, the home side showed their intent by suffocating their opponent, who were pinned back in their own half for long stretches and starved of possession. As has often been the case lately, it was Bradley Barcola who sparked the first danger from the left wing. Perfectly played in behind the Dutch defence by Willian Pacho, the French international used his speed, but his shot narrowly missed the target (11'). A few minutes later, the Parisian winger set up Lee Kang-In on the edge of the box, but the South Korean's strike was diverted for a corner by a vigilant Walter Benitez (16').

The club from the capital started strong, with Ousmane Dembélé coming very close to opening the scoring when he met a cross from Nuno Mendes, but his first-time effort rattled the crossbar (19'). A bit of luck was all the hosts were missing. Dembélé, in particular, kept pushing, taking another chance around the half-hour mark, but his powerful shot flew just over the Eindhoven goal (30').

The risk was then coming up against a more clinical opponent, and the club from the capital became the unfortunate witness to that. After standing up the Parisian defence, Noa Lang took a shot from 20 metres out, placing the ball into the bottom corner beyond the reach of Gigio Donnarumma (0-1, 34'). A goal against the run of play, which gave the Dutch side a boost of confidence. As a result, the Rouge et Bleu headed into the dressing room trailing by a goal.

Luis Enrique’s players needed to respond in the second half, and who better to lead the way than his side's leaders? Achraf Hakimi understood this, and the Moroccan full-back stepped up, beating Walter Benitez with a floating right-footed shot from outside the box (1-1, 54’)! However, Paris had to remain cautious not to overcommit against a Dutch team now playing on the counter-attack. Fortunately, they could rely on their captain, Marquinhos, who made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to thwart Lang, prompting a roar of relief from the Parc des Princes crowd (60’).

As the minutes ticked by, Paris had to find ways to unlock a well-organised defence. Désiré Doué, Senny Mayulu and Randal Kolo Muani were brought on late in the game, hoping to unsettle the Eindhoven backline. Energised by an unstoppable Achraf Hakimi on the right wing, the hosts thought they had won a penalty following contact in the box, but the referee reversed his decision after consulting VAR (90+4'). In the final moments, Paris then thought they had snatched victory, but their captain Marquinhos’ powerful header was miraculously saved by an outstanding Benitez (90+6').

Despite their domination, Paris Saint-Germain failed to score a second goal and had to settle for a point, leaving them with a balanced record of one win, one draw, and one loss after three matches. The club from the capital can now focus on their second big challenge of the week: a trip to the Stade Vélodrome for the Classique against Marseille. This highly anticipated clash will take place on Sunday at 20:45, as part of Matchday 9 of Ligue 1. The countdown is on!