PSG bullish despite latest Champions League setback

MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos insisted it was “not the end” of their Champions League campaign despite Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich which left them stuck in the lower reaches of the standings.

The defeat left PSG 26th in the 36-team table, outside the qualifying places for the knockout phase. The top eight sides go straight through to the last 16, while those from ninth to 24th enter an extra knockout round.

Ramos, who made his return off the bench after injury, said the French champions were “not afraid of anything” and still confident of making it to the next round. “We are all disappointed but there’s nothing more we can do today. We are focused on the next game and we can still go to the next round and we are focused on that,” he said.

“We will keep working. It’s not the end of the Champions League for us.” The hosts took the lead in Munich when PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, starting ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, failed to clear a corner, allowing Kim Min-jae to head home.

PSG’s hopes of fighting their way back into the match were dashed when Ousmane Dembele was sent off after picking up a second yellow with just over half an hour remaining for an unnecessary challenge on Bayern’s Alphonso Davies.

“We have three games in the next months and we will work hard to win the games and to go to the next round,” Ramos said. PSG still have to host English champions Manchester City, themselves looking to get out of a form slump, and also have tricky away trips to Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart.

A “disappointed” midfielder Joao Neves said his side were on the right track. “The most important thing is that we play our football. We are sure that is the best way to get through this stage and we will stay the same team from the beginning to the end,” he said. “We will stick together, nobody will point fingers at each other.”