PARIS, Oct 23 — Paris St Germain’s weaknesses on the biggest stage were once again exposed when they were held 1-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League group phase yesterday.
The Ligue 1 leaders salvaged a point when Achraf Hakimi’s second-half strike cancelled out Noa Lang’s opener at the Parc des Princes, leaving Luis Enrique’s side on four points after three games.
Eredivisie leaders PSV, who made the most of PSG’s mediocrity in midfield, are still winless with two points in the new format of Europe’s premier club competition, which features a single table of 36 teams.
“It was a weird game,” said Hakimi. “We had a lot of chances but failed to convert them. We dominate all the games we played but today we lacked efficiency.”
PSG’s Bradley Barcola had the first clear chance when his low crossed shot shaved the post in the 11th minute before Lee Kang-in forced Walter Benitez to stretch to tip away a sudden shot from just outside the box.
Ousmane Dembele came even closer with a powerful volley that struck the bar in the 22nd.
PSV, however, were far more clinical.
In the 34th minute, Ismael Saibari stole the ball from Dembele and found Lang, who caught Gianluigi Donnarumma off guard as he brushed a 20-metre low shot past the Italian keeper.
PSG levelled 10 minutes into the second half with a shot that went between Benitez’s legs.
The visitors made a dog’s dinner of a two-against-one situation as PSG continued to be shaky in the midfield, although Hakimi’s goal seemed to give them a boost.
Dembele and Barcola had other chances and Luis Enrique replaced Lee with Marco Asensio, but it was Hakimi who threatened the most again with a crossed shot 10 minutes from time.
Randal Kolo Muani then came on for Barcola but had little impact in a team clearly lacking a pure striker since Kylian Mbappe left for Real Madrid as a free agent during the close season.
PSG thought they had been thrown a lifeline in added time when Asensio appeared to be brought down in the box, but a VAR review ruled it was not a penalty offence.
Benitez then denied Marquinhos with a brilliant save in the dying seconds to preserve a deserved point for his team.
In the next round of matches, PSG host Atletico Madrid while PSV entertain Girona. — Reuters
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