PSG beat Dortmund 2-0 in the opening round of Group F of the Champions League with a goal from striker Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe scored for PSG in their eighth consecutive match, giving them a commanding lead over the runner-up in the Bundesliga. He has scored eight goals in all this season, which accounts for 67% of the home team’s total. The other goal to overcome Dortmund in Paris was scored by Mbappe’s close friend and defender Achraf Hakimi.
PSG had a 78% possession rate of the ball in the opening period and tried 12 attempts, but no goals were scored. In the first period of the second half, they attempted two more shots and netted two goals. Contrarily, the visiting squad struggled to create any significant chances and regularly turned the ball over before it could cross the midfield line.
Despite being outmatched, PSG had to rely on a disputed situation to score. In the 47th minute, as the midfielder was reducing his body weight and was ready to put his hands on the ground, Mbappe punched him in the arm. Referee Gil Manzano instantly awarded a penalty to the home team; despite the away club’s claim that Sule did not have enough time to respond due to the two players’ close closeness, VAR did not reverse this decision.
Gregor Kobel, the goaltender, stumbled before he even had a chance to touch the ball after Mbappe himself took a penalty shot to the bottom left corner of the goal. Earlier in the tournament, Kobel was given two penalties, but he saved both of Riyad Mahrez’s and Pedro Gonçalves’ shots for Man City and Sporting.
The bulk of the Parc des Princes audience rose to their feet and applauded after their star player scored the team’s first goal in the competition. The Champions League is the most important competition, and Mbappe is the most important player for PSG.
A goal by PSG was added nine minutes later as a consequence of an unintentional midfield collision between Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi. Finally making more room for the Moroccan player to pass him, the Portuguese midfielder flicked the ball from close range into the far corner of the goal. After scoring a goal against his previous side, Hakimi tried to hold back his joy, but he couldn’t stop smiling as his teammates joined him.
Although Dortmund did not create many good opportunities, the away team’s fans cheered the whole game. The player with the yellow shirt received several yellow cards for fighting with his opponent on the pitch. That was the only thing Edin Terzic’s team managed to do in Paris.
The first three requirements alone do not guarantee that PSG will easily overcome Group F. Luis Enrique and his team might advance in the rankings and even go for their first Champions League title with a solid performance, though.