Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Girona: Gazzaniga´s late error spoils visitors´ Champions League bow

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique announced that he will be leaving the Spanish giants in the summer

Paris Saint-Germain sneaked to a 1-0 home victory over Champions League debutants Girona on Wednesday after Paulo Gazzaniga’s costly late blunder.

Nuno Mendes’ harmless low delivery across goal slipped through visiting goalkeeper Gazzaniga’s grasp in the 90th minute to hand the hosts an opening victory at Parc des Princes.

Girona’s defence effectively neutralised PSG’s attack in the first half, causing mounting frustration for the hosts before Michel’s side began to waste time, drawing boos from the Parc des Princes crowd.

Randal Kolo Muani and Achraf Hakimi had late chances, but both missed from close range before Gazzinga inexplicably allowed Mendes’ tame cross to squirm through his hands.

Parisian victory at the Parc! #PSGGIR I #UCL pic.twitter.com/ja6m8Vcmes

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 18, 2024

Data Debrief: PSG’s fortress continues unbroken

Though winning in fortuitous circumstances, PSG have now only lost one of their 37 home games in the group stage of the Champions League (W29 D7) since the start of the 2012-13 campaign.

Parc des Princes remains the Ligue 1 champions’ fortress, with only one of the last 29 teams (D8 L20) travelling away to PSG for the first time in the competition winning (Manchester United, 3-1 in March 2019).

Luis Enrique has Gazzaniga to thank, however, with Girona’s own goal the first in the 90th minute of a Champions League game since November 2022, since Porto’s Ivan Marcano against Atletico Madrid.

It was the first ever 90th-minute own goal in the competition that proved to be the winner but, concerningly, PSG have now attempted 71 shot attempts since one of their own players scored in Europe.