Atletico Madrid produce smash-and-grab performance to beat PSG in last minute
Aware that defeat here would already make direct knockout stage qualification a tricky proposition, the hosts used the abundant quality on their right side to stamp their authority on the game.
Both Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembele not only hit wide in the opening stages but also flung numerous dangerous crosses into the area, with Atletico right-back Javi Galan looking out of his depth. For all PSG’s good work, their opener inside 15 minutes was something of a gift.
Clement Lenglet dwelled on the ball long enough to be robbed by Dembele, who shifted it to Warren Zaire-Emery for a delicate chipped finish over Jan Oblak.
The visitors had had hardly anything to shout about in attack, but a rare foray forward resulted in the ball ricocheting off Willian Pacho into the path of Nahuel Molina, who stormed in to rifle a left-footed volley into the far corner.
That goal - just four minutes after PSG’s opener - did little to dampen the Parisian’s collective spirit, although they didn’t restore their lead before the break despite overall dominance and continued danger from Dembele.
Things took a little while to get going after the break, but PSG were poised to counter as soon as Diego Simeone began to commit more players forward. Jan Oblak was equal to Hakimi’s near-post effort before beating away a curled attempt from Bradley Barcola, and the pressure continued to mount on the Atleti backline as the match reached its final stages.
The saves kept coming from the Slovenian, including when skipper Marquinhos headed straight at him from an unmarked position just a few yards out.
That flurry seemed to consume all of the hosts’ remaining energy, and despite having almost nothing to shout about in attack in the second half, the away side countered to net a sensational winner.
Antoine Griezmann floated a ball over to substitute Correa, who turned inside and finished into the far corner despite Gianluigi Donnarumma’s best efforts.
PSG’s shyness in front of goal was undoubtedly the reason they came up short, and just three strikes in four UCL matches is a big reason why they find themselves in the bottom 12 at the league phase’s halfway point.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
