The experience will not have been enough. Yet great regulars in the Champions League, the PSG players were surprised by Ajax Amsterdam in the Johann Cruyff Arena on Wednesday evening (2-0), getting off to a bad start to their European campaign.
Faced with the most affordable opponent in this group C, Paris missed its meeting and will have to quickly bounce back: it welcomes the other favorite of the group, Bayern Munich, next week for a shock at the top. Last in its group after this defeat and the 2-2 draw between Bayern and AS Roma, PSG will have to avoid further disillusionment next Thursday at the Jean-Bouin stadium, against the Munich champions of Germany.
Paris can always count on Chawinga
However, PSG started as favorites. The only member of its group to have played in a final (2015, 2017), the Parisian club regularly finishes in the last four (2020, 2021, 2022) or falls in the quarter (2019, 2023). On the contrary, the Dutch champions have never done better than the eighth place (2019). But appearances are sometimes deceptive and apart from Tabitha Chawinga, very dangerous for the opposing defense as usual, Paris missed its match.
Taking advantage of a ball blocked by Sakina Karchaoui, the Dutchwoman Tiny Hoekstra opened the scoring (34th). A lead doubled by captain Sherida Spitse from the penalty spot just before the break (45th+1) after an obvious foul by Clare Hunt. Korbin Albert thought he could reduce the score in the 72nd minute, but goalkeeper Regina van Eijk saved on her line at the last minute.
The victory is therefore logical for the Dutch who could even have increased the score, again by Hoekstra in a Johan Cruyff Arena which was well filled for the occasion. The teammates of Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who almost opened the scoring at the start of the match after a poorly controlled exit from her area by van Eijk, are therefore expected on November 23 for a reaction.