Warren Zaire-Emery’s goal on Wednesday night helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 and advance to the Champions League knockout stage.
Five minutes after Karim Adeyemi had given Dortmund the lead, the 17-year-old Zaire-Emery tied the score. However, PSG also had AC Milan to thank for defeating Newcastle 2-1 in the second Group F game.
Newcastle’s defeat sent PSG into the second round, where they will now take on qualified Dortmund. Milan, on the other hand, overcame Newcastle to finish third and advance to the next round of the Europa League.
“The outcome in Newcastle was fantastic,” PSG head coach Luis Enrique said.
When Kylian Mbappé hammered a shot past Gregor Kobel inside the far post in the 72nd minute, he appeared to have handed his team the lead and eliminated Dortmund from the group. Nevertheless, the goal was not onside, according to a VAR assessment.
Both teams lost a lot of early opportunities.
Sebastian Kehl, sporting director of Dortmund, stated: “I believe a draw is a fair result. Because it was back and forth, there might have been other objectives.”
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PSG was ahead 1-0 midway through the first half, but Niklas Süle of Dortmund prevented Mbappé from scoring with a spectacular sliding goal-line clearance after Bradley Barcola hit the post and Randall Kolo Muani missed the target.
After Süle’s outstanding clearance, Dortmund’s coach Edin Terzić remarked, “It was like a goal for us.”
On the opposite side, PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma kept Salih Özcan and Marco Reus at bay.
In the 51st minute, Niclas Füllkrug dragged the ball back for the Germany striker to sweep in off the right post after Ramy Bensebaini put pressure on Marquinhos in defense, ending the tie.
However, Mbappé was able to go beyond Dortmund’s defense and make a left-footed cross. Zaire-Emery fired in a low shot from the center after Barcola gave it back.
“Giving them a little space together, you could see what quality they have,” Terzić said. It’s true that you shouldn’t take pride in your accomplishment of coming in first in our group. We’re not too concerned about it, then.
After setting the record at 17 years and 280 days, Zaire-Emery defeated fellow Frenchmen Mathys Tels of Bayern Munich, Karim Benzema, and Mbappé to become the youngest players to score in the Champions League.
In the end, it guaranteed PSG’s passage to the round of 16 for a record-tying 12 times. Milan would have advanced if PSG had lost.
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