Botafogo stunned Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 on Thursday night in each club’s second match of the Club World Cup.
Igor Jesus scored late in the first half, and the South American champions made it stand up through a tense second half while moving atop the group at 2-0-0.
PSG hadn’t lost in any competition since May 3, but the European champions looked understandably weary at times before a lively Rose Bowl crowd of 53,699.
Jesus’ stunning score in the 36th minute was the first goal allowed since May 17 by PSG, which routed Atlético Madrid 4-0 last Sunday in Pasadena.
The French powerhouse had outscored its last three opponents by a combined 12-0, winning the French Cup and the Champions League final along the way.
Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele missed his second straight game for PSG with a quadriceps injury. His teammates still dominated possession in the first half, even though coach Luis Enrique rotated his starting lineup.
Everything came undone with the remarkable individual effort by Jesus, the Brazilian striker reportedly headed for Nottingham Forest next season.
“That’s why I say the graveyard in football is full of favorites. It was really about believing in ourselves. … We played a match that was almost perfect, technically speaking. There were really no opportunities for PSG. We had a lot of team spirit, and I was saying backstage that we won this match making PSG taste their own poison, because we were what PSG has been for some time, which is a real team,” said Botafogo coach Renato Paiva.
PSG finished with 16 shot attempts to Botafogo’s four — but all four were on target, whereas PSG only got two on net.
“I think it’s normal. This competition is very intense and difficult. Every team is motivated, especially against our team. I think sometimes our team struggled against their defense. I think Botafogo is one of the toughest defensive teams in the tournament,” said Luis Enrique.
Jesus controlled Jefferson Savarino’s long pass, outmaneuvered two defenders and thumped a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. He leaped over a barrier and up onto the front row of the Rose Bowl stands to celebrate with Botafogo’s ecstatic supporters.
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PSG had little of the sublime connective play that characterized its stellar run over the past month, but Luis Enrique’s club is still in strong position to advance as it travels to play MLS side Seattle Sounders.
Thousands of boisterous Brazilian fans made the trip to celebrate one of the most remarkable victories in Botafogo’s storied history. The club faces Atlético on Monday at the Rose Bowl with a surprising chance to advance from this difficult group.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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