Paris St Germain’s disappointing Champions League campaign continued on Wednesday as they slumped to a last-gasp 2-1 home defeat by Atletico Madrid that left the Ligue 1 leaders in the elimination zone.
Warren Zaire Emery’s opener was quickly cancelled out by the visitors’ Nahuel Molina in the first half of a largely disappointing match which ended with Angel Correa stabbing in the winner three minutes into added time.
On four points from as many games, PSG are 25th in the 36-team league, six points behind fellow Ligue 1 teams Monaco and Stade Brestois, while Atleti moved out of the red zone with six points.
PSG next travel to Bayern Munich and RB Salzburg while Atletico play Sparta Prague away and Slovan Bratislava at home.
The home side were, once again, left ruing their missed chances.
“We tried and tried, right up to the last minute. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal on their last chance. Would things be easier with a real centre-forward? Well, you never know. That’s our game plan. We’ll get better at it,” said midfielder Vitinha.
Correa said things started to get better when Atleti loosened up after conceding the opener.
“They found the back of the net very quickly but the team then relaxed, started to play and the equaliser came from a great collective play. That’s the idea the team should have, to play a little more,” he said.
Achraf Hakimi shot just wide before Ousmane Dembele’s effort whizzed over the bar as PSG made a lively start.
PSG, who have struggled in the competition this season, were gifted the opener when Clement Lenglet was easily dispossessed in the box by Dembele, who fed Zaire Emery and his France team mate finished with a clinical chip in the 14th minute.
That spurred Atleti into action and four minutes later Molina smashed a half volley home after poor defending by Nuno Mendes following Gianluigi Donnarumma’s initial save to deny Giuliano Simeone.
Dembele played chief tormentor early in the second half, bringing danger to the Atletico defence several times, but it was Bradley Barcola who had the best scoring position, only to shoot straight at Jan Oblak.
Oblak palmed away another Barcola attempt in the 65th minute as PSG increased the pressure.
Marquinhos had a header blocked 10 minutes later and Oblak pulled off another save to deny Hakimi from close range.
Luis Enrique had sent Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in on for PSG, but neither had a chance, highlighting PSG’s obvious lack of an out-and-out striker as they have scored only three goals in four games in the competition.
Diego Simeone’s changes bore fruit, however, as Correa, who came on as a second-half substitute, kept his cool in the area to slot the ball past Donnarumma at the end of a swift counter attack just before the final whistle, triggering a barrage of boos and whistles from the home crowd.
(REUTERS)