Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered an unexpected defeat during their away match in Portugal. Zaire-Emery, Nuno Mendes, and Ousmane Dembele found the net early for PSG, but their efforts were all disallowed due to fouls or offside.

Adding to their misfortune, PSG conceded two late goals. Striker Luis Javier Suarez netted a brace for Sporting with follow-up finishes in the 74th and 90th minutes. PSG only managed to pull one goal back thanks to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's curling shot in the 79th minute.

Mendes (right) dribbles during Sporting's 2-1 victory over PSG in the seventh matchday of the Champions League group stage on the evening of 20/1. *Photo: SF*

The defeat to Sporting caused PSG to drop to fifth place in the Champions League group stage standings. The reigning champions now have 13 points after seven matches, leaving them one to three points ahead of or level with Sporting, Man City, Atalanta, Inter, Atletico, Liverpool, Dortmund, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Barca. Their position could worsen if Atletico and Liverpool win their two late matches of the seventh matchday.

Competing against numerous rivals puts PSG on the verge of not securing a direct spot in the round of 16. In the final matchday, if coach Luis Enrique's squad defeats Newcastle at home, they will secure their advancement. However, a draw or a loss would see them drop out of the top 8 and force them into the play-off rounds.

The group stage offers only eight direct qualification spots for the eight group winners. Teams ranked from ninth to 24th must compete in play-off matches for the remaining eight spots.

Last season, PSG finished 15th in the group stage. However, they began their remarkable run with an emphatic 10-0 aggregate victory over Brest in the play-off round. They then defeated Liverpool 4-1 in a penalty shootout in the round of 16, Aston Villa 5-4 in the quarter-finals, Arsenal 3-1 in the semi-finals, and Inter 5-0 in the final.

Thanh Quy