Two first-half goals from Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint Germain prevented Juventus from getting a win in their Champions League opener. This was their first victory against the Italian side in the tournament, having lost the last six matches.
Mbappe was quick to score a five-minute goal after receiving the ball from Neymar. In the 22nd minute, Mbappe scored the second goal as Juventus defenders could not deal with the ability and pace of the striker.
PSG’s Sergio Ramos and Juventus’ Gleison Bremer each received a yellow card in the 25th minute . After that, in the 45th minute, another Juventus player, Miretti, received a yellow card.
Mbappe failed to pass to Neymar when he had the chance to make it 3-0. Instead, he took the shot which ended up on target.
PSG’s performances were exceptional in the first half with Juventus having problems dealing with PSG’s attacking trio, who made their defence beg for mercy with their dribbling skills and intensity in the first half before showing slack defense and vulnerability in the second half.
The American, Weston Mckennie, restored an element of hope in the hearts of the Juventus fans after scoring in the 53rd minute after Donnarumma’s error.
The goalkeeper has made two errors in six Champions League matches for PSG. Filip Kostic created the chance for Mckennie.
In the 65th minute, the Italian, Marco Verrati, was given a yellow card for pushing Adrien Rabiot at the back. In the 72nd minute, Juventus were lucky that a penalty was not given against them after Danilo’s clearance hit his hand.
In the 73rd minute, Juventus right back, Danilo, was also booked by the referee for putting his hand on the face of Kylian Mbappe when he could not deal with the pace.
In the 89th minute, Neymar missed a golden opportunity after a Juventus deflection fell to his feet in the six-yard box. The Brazilian blasted it over the net.
Donnarumma made a couple of saves to deny Juventus from getting a point.
Mbappe was named man of the match after an impressive performance. Mbappe surpassed his teammate Lionel Messi to become the player to achieve 35 goals in Europe’s top club competition at the age of 23 years and 260 days.
Only 16 players have more goals in the Champions League than the French star Mbappe.
Another player who deserves the credit is Verrati. He touched the ball 131 times, had a 96% pass completion, six tackles, and made two dribbles.
Christopher Gailter’s side are on level terms with Benfica, who defeated Maccabi Haifa by two goals to nil, with both teams getting three points in Group H.
PSG will travel to Israel to play Maccabi Haifa for the second match of their Champions League campaign. The French giants are considered favorites in that game.
Juventus will play again in the Champions League against Benfica on September 14, 2022. They need to get a win to build their confidence or start thinking of exiting the tournament.
