In the first match of the new Champions League season, PSG failed to secure triumph over Club Brugge. Lionel Messi struggled to make an impact as he played the football tournament first time for another club since departing Barcelona. Apart from Messi, having Neymar and Mbappe too in the starting XI, PSG ended in a 1-1 tie with Brugge.
Despite the hype surrounding PSG’s new signing – Messi, who hit the crossbar, it was Ander Herrera who scored the opening goal after great work from Kylian Mbappe. Hans Vanaken from Belgium club Brugge scored a deserving equalizer before the second half to get the Jan Breydel Stadium rocking. The goalscorers of the night were Herrera hitting the net in the 15th minute for PSG, while Vanaken hit the ball in the 27th minute for Brugge.
It was a frustrating evening for Messi, later he was carded for a second-half foul. However, this was marked to be the Argentine’s 150th Champions League game. Throughout the game, PSG struggled to deal with the home team’s aggressive pressing and relied on goalkeeper Keylor Navas to tip Charles de Ketelaere’s well-struck effort over the crossbar to keep the score level.
As PSG struggled to break down the energetic hosts Mbappe was replaced after 51 minutes. Philippe Clement’s team may have felt they could have won the game on their own. Messi began to find more space as the Belgian defence wore down late in the game, but the 34-year-old was unable to break down the Bruges defense on his full PSG debut. Take a look at football highlights of PSG disappointing tie with Brugge.
Club Brugge 1 – 1 PSG
Goals: 0 – 1 Herrera 15, 1 – 1 Vanaken 27
Bookings: Lang, Balanta; Paredes, Messi
Club Brugge: Mignolet, Nsoki, Hendry, Clinton Mata, Sobol, Balanta, Vanaken, Rits, Sowah, Lang, de Ketelaere
Substitutions: Maouassa
PSG: Navas, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo, Wijnaldum, Paredes, Herrera, Messi, Mbappe, Neymar
Substitutions: Mendes, Icardi, Danilo, Draxler
