December 14, (THEWILL) – Paris Saint-Germain faced a must-win match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night to secure qualification to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
In a thrilling contest that ended 1-1, PSG resiliently earned the draw needed to finish second in Group F behind their German hosts. A goalless first half saw both sides waste numerous opportunities in front of goal. Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi finally broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, slotting the ball past PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after the French side lost possession.
However, PSG responded quickly through 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery just five minutes later following good work from Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe thought he had won it for the visitors in the 76th minute after rounding Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel, but VAR ruled it offside by the finest of margins. The result means Dortmund top the group on 11 points, with PSG joining them in the last 16 on 8 points.
For PSG, qualification represents a satisfactory conclusion to the group stages after an inconsistent start under new manager Luis Enrique. Going forward, they will need to improve further to challenge Europe’s elite in the knockout phase. Yet, with superstar Mbappe in such form, anything is possible for the French champions.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
