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PSG fall 2-0 against Arsenal in Champions League clash

Paris Saint-Germain fell against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium 2-0 in a Champions League clash, first-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka proved decisive as Paris struggled offensively in the first half.

ByAlan Mezoela|
Arsenal FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase, Bradley Barcola stopped by William Saliba
Arsenal FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase, Bradley Barcola stopped by William Saliba | Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

This PSG team travelled to the Emirates full of confidence following their 3-1 victory against Stade Rennais on Friday, and with four players coming back from injuries, with only Ousmane Dembele dropped due to disciplinary reasons.

In the absence of Dembele, Luis Enrique relied on Bradley Barcola, Kang-In Lee, and Desire Doue to lead the front line. The trio in midfield was Neves, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery, and the back four was composed of Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, and Hakimi with Donnarumma in between the posts.

PSG fall 2-0 against Arsenal in Champions League clash

Arsenal who salvaged a draw against Atalanta two weeks ago started the game in great fashion, making good use of the ball the back to create chances.

However, the first 15 minutes of the game were even between the two sides. Nonetheless, Kai Havertz opened the scoring on a header in the 20th minute, following a great assist from Leandro Trossard.

Paris came close to equalised twice through Nuno Mendes (28') as his shot touched the post and Achraf Hakimi (30') from a tight angle. A few minutes later Bukayo Saka gave a commanding lead to the host on a free-kick at the 35th minute. Both teams went into half-time as PSG struggled to create offensively.

An exceptional save from Donnarumma on a volley from Trossard inside the box prevented his team from going three goals down at the start of the second half.

Neves came close to reducing the deficit on the corner hitting the crossbar. Paris' second half was much better as substitutes such as Randal Kolo Muani and Fabian Ruiz brought some danger and verticality.

Les Rouges et Bleus' lack of creativity and verticality in the first half certainly proved detrimental against a strong Arsenal side. As it stands, Paris Saint-Germain sits at the 18th position of the League table with three points, awaiting Wednesday's results.

Up next, PSG will travel to Nice on Sunday, October 6th for Matchday 7 in Ligue 1 McDonald's. As for the Champions League, Paris will host PSV on Matchday 3.

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