Safonov did not miss the Champions League and received applause! And the opposing goalkeeper makes an impossible blunder
Anatoly Romanov September 19, 2024, 00:07 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
PSG managed to win in the end, but the home side’s goal was simply surreal.
Matvey Safonov made his debut for PSG. And immediately – in the Champions League! Donnarumma was injured and this paved the way for the Russian goalkeeper to join the starting eleven of the Parisians. True, there were fears that Luis Enrique would decide to play his compatriot Tenas. But the coach of the French champions still gave the summer newcomer from Krasnodar a chance.
The match actually started with the Russian goalkeeper putting the ball into the opponent’s box, and the tension in the Girona goal increased. It would have been great if Safonov’s clearance had led to an early goal, but that didn’t happen. So Matvey watched the football as a spectator. The match took place mainly in the Spanish half of the field or in their third, with Luis Enrique’s team possessing the ball more than 70% of the time. After the defeats, the home team immediately regained possession through high-quality counter-pressing. That’s why Girona had absolutely no counter-play. Up front, the visiting striker Stuani, 37 years old… a debutant in the Champions League, was bored!
The game at the Parc des Princes lacked any flavour. Luis Enrique’s team’s usual monotonous possession rarely led to scoring chances. The Parisians struck the first blow only after 10 minutes of play, when Zaire-Emery was actually half a metre or a metre from goal. Soon, Asensio, who was playing the role of the “false nine”, had another chance. Anyone could be in front of PSG. Even right-back Hakimi. Controlling the ball, the Parisians formed a three-man defence, with Hakimi and Barkola providing width and, at times, the Moroccan flying forward through the centre. Meanwhile, Asensio did not finish the game before the break: he was injured and replaced by Kolo Muani.
In the first half, PSG did not have a single shot on goal, and Girona did not have any shots at Safonov’s goal at all. Matvey was only used by his defenders in the back pass, and our legionnaire played confidently with his feet. I remember a cross from the Spaniards into the box, when Safonov caught the ball in a beautiful jump and received applause from the crowd. Girona’s players only made one touch in the Parisian box in more than 45 minutes. But the most important thing for Michel’s team was to be able to cope with PSG’s attack. Barça pressed more in last weekend’s derby.
After the break, Girona suddenly became more daring. The Spaniards began to attack in large forces, with five or six players flying forward. In the first minutes of the second half, the visitors made several touches in the home box. Stuani either got a shot off or delivered a dangerous shot at the goalkeeper’s header towards Tsygankov, but Safonov stopped the ball as it fell. Finally Matvey was able to prove his worth! And Girona, having opened up, missed PSG’s quick retaliatory attacks. Kolo Muani ran one-on-one from midfield, but centre-back Krejci played simply phenomenal: he caught up with the striker and took the ball away from him at the last moment. He celebrated it as if he had scored himself.
And here are the main events of the first day of the Champions League:
The Champions League kicks off in space. The teams scored 28 goals! Video review of the day.
PSG calmed their opponents in possession by increasing the speed of the ball and making triple substitutions. The game returned to normal, at least the home team had the advantage. Dembélé almost scored, but Gassaniga, Safonov’s Argentine colleague, made the save that I wanted to see from Matvey himself in this match. He cleared a difficult ball between the front nine. PSG could not score. Luis Enrique’s team, of course, lacks a top-level centre-forward for important games.
This was brought back into focus when Kolo Muani missed a clear chance in the 82nd minute. The attack began with a clearance from Safonov, and then, after a rebound and a penetrating pass, the striker turned sharply in the box and fired into the bottom corner. The target was missing. Overall, PSG’s goal came too late in the end. In addition, in a controversial episode, the referee did not award a penalty when the ball hit Krejci’s hand.
In 88 minutes, PSG had 24 shots and five of them were on target. Girona’s statistics show three shots and one on target (the same one by Stuani). But everything was heading towards a 0:0 draw, and then… something terrible happened for the Spaniards. After a pass from the left by Nuno Mendes, a cross and a slight rebound, the previously reliable Gassaniga let the ball slip through his arms and legs. A most curious goal! Thus, Paris forced a home win at the start of the Champions League. It turned out to be an ideal debut for Safonov with a “cracker”, except that one good save was not enough to make Matvey absolutely happy.
