Paris – The City of Love wasn’t just about romance last night; it was all about football! Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with style, taking down Borussia Dortmund in a sensational 2-0 victory.
The match unfolded at the iconic Parc des Princes at 08:00 PM (GMT+1) on Tuesday (19/9/2023) – and let’s just say, PSG owned the game.
The first half ended with both teams locked in a goalless draw. Despite Dortmund’s efforts to hold PSG at bay, it was Kylian Mbappe who broke the deadlock early in the second half. He successfully converted a penalty, giving PSG the decisive lead that ultimately brought the home team to victory with a final goal from Achraf Hakimi.
With this win, PSG now tops the Group F standings in the Champions League with three points. Meanwhile, Dortmund finds themselves at the bottom of the group, trailing behind AC Milan (3 points) and Newcastle United (2 points) after their previous goalless draw.
Game Recap in a Nutshell
The game began with PSG taking control and pushing forward, but they struggled to break through Dortmund’s heavy defenses.
At the 19th minute mark, PSG came breathtakingly close to scoring. Vitinha unleashed a fierce right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty box, and it looked like a sure goal. However, the ball hit the post, and Dortmund’s defense breathed a sigh of relief.
Dortmund, meanwhile, had to rely on set pieces for their chances, with Mats Hummels’ header narrowly missing the target.
As the clock ticked down towards halftime, PSG appealed for a penalty after the ball struck Niklas Suele’s arm. VAR had the final say, and the penalty shout was denied.
The second half kicked off with a bang as PSG earned a penalty after Suele’s handball. Mbappe stepped up as the executioner and powered the ball to the right. Despite the keeper’s efforts, the ball found the net, and PSG took the lead in the 48th minute.
Just ten minutes later, PSG turned up the heat once more. Hakimi was the hero this time, slotting the ball home with his right foot, and the celebrations echoed across Paris. Dortmund came close to pulling one back in the 79th minute, with Bynoe-Gittens’ effort hitting the woodwork.
In injury time, Mbappe missed an opportunity to score his second goal of the match. His shot narrowly missed the target as he attempted to guide the ball using the outside of his foot.
Goncalo Ramos thought he had scored a goal for PSG in the dying moments of the game when he converted a through pass from Mbappe. However, the goal was disallowed due to Ramos being caught offside.
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Starting Lineups: PSG vs Dortmund
Paris Saint-Germain:
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Marquinhos
- Milan Skriniar
- Lucas Hernandez (substituted at 88′ by Danilo)
- Achraf Hakimi
- Matias Ugarte
- Vitinha (substituted at 80′ by Lee Kang-in)
- Zaire-Emery
- Moussa Dembele
- Kolo Muani (substituted at 80′ by Goncalo Ramos)
- Kylian Mbappe
Borussia Dortmund:
- Gregor Kobel
- Niklas Suele
- Mats Hummels
- Ryerson
- Schlotterbeck
- Emre Can (substituted at 76′ by Bynoe-Gittens)
- Julian Brandt (substituted at 62′ by Marco Reus)
- Marcel Sabitzer (substituted at 14′ by Nmecha)
- Wolf (substituted at 78′ by Bensebaini)
- Adeyemi
- Donyell Malen (substituted at 62′ by Fullkrug)
Overall, PSG’s dominant performance secured them a well-deserved victory over Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
The win puts PSG at the top of their group, while Dortmund will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming matches.
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