•Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Achraf Hakimi (R) runs with the ball during the match yesterday
Paris Saint-Germain’s stuttering start in this season’s Champions League continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by PSV Eindhoven in the French capital yesterday.
The Dutch champions led through a Noa Lang strike just after the half-hour mark at the Parc des Princes, but Achraf Hakimi equalised early in the second half, reports AFP.
Nevertheless, this was a game PSG should have won given the chances they created, but Luis Enrique’s team once again struggled to put the ball in the net, a recurring problem for them in Europe.
PSG’s frustration was summed up when they were awarded a penalty in injury time after a challenge on Marco Asensio in the box, only for the decision to be overturned on review.
The French giants had 25 attempts on goal in this game to their opponents’ seven. They have now scored just twice in their last five matches in the Champions League, with the other an own-goal against Girona last month.
That run goes back to last season’s semi-final against Borussia Dortmund which they lost 2-0 on aggregate.
After a narrow 1-0 victory against Girona and a 2-0 defeat away to Arsenal in their first two matches in the new-look format of the competition, PSG have just four points from a possible nine.
There are still five games to play but they have Atletico Madrid at home next followed by Bayern Munich away, suggesting things will not get any easier.
PSV, meanwhile, are still winless having previously lost away to Juventus before drawing at home to Sporting.
That shows how big a step up playing in Europe is for the Dutch side, who have a perfect record after nine games in this season’s Eredivisie.
Rested in Ligue 1 last weekend and controversially dropped against Arsenal earlier this month, Ousmane Dembele was back in the starting line-up for PSG.
– Dembele misses –
The France winger has never been a deadly finisher and he was guilty of missing a couple of big chances in the first half.
Lee Kang-in, preferred to Randal Kolo Muani in the PSG attack, was first to force a save from visiting goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
Dembele then should have scored in the 19th minute when he arrived unmarked at the back post to meet an inviting cross from the left, but his effort on the half-volley struck the top of the bar.
That was followed by another miss on the half-hour mark as Dembele was played in by a clever Joao Neves pass off the chest, but he blazed over the bar.
Having offered little going forward, PSV went ahead on 34 minutes.
An Olivier Boscagli interception left the home team exposed, and Ismael Saibari supplied Lang who blasted a low shot into the corner from the edge of the area.
PSG were now in danger of a seventh defeat in 15 games in the Champions League since the start of last season, but they found an equaliser on 55 minutes.
Hakimi tried a speculative shot from 25 metres which was simply too powerful for Benitez as the ball passed through the goalkeeper’s legs.
The same player came close to putting PSG ahead before drama ensued in injury time.
Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg pointed to the spot in the 93rd minute when Boscagli lunged into a tackle on Asensio, but the defender played the ball and the penalty was cancelled after a VAR check.
Benitez then saved PSV with a brilliant save from a Marquinhos header, and the final whistle was met with boos by the home fans.
The Qatar-owned club’s prospects of finally landing a first ever Champions League title this season currently seem remote.
