Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League campaign hit a critically importent snag Tuesday night at the BayArena, and central defender Illia Zabarnyi found himself at the center of a difficult evening. The Ukrainian international, a key summer acquisition for PSG, endured a rough outing against Bayer Leverkusen, marked by costly errors that put his team in a precarious position.
A night of Uncharacteristic Errors
Partnering Willian Pacho in the heart of PSG’s defense, Zabarnyi’s struggles began around the 20-minute mark. In a moment of unfortunate misjudgment,he conceded a penalty after a duel with Bayer leverkusen’s Claudio echeverri. While Zabarnyi appealed for a foul after going down, the ball inadvertently struck his hand as he fell, leaving referee jesús Gil Manzano with little choice but to point to the spot.
While Zabarnyi was blessed that Alejandro Grimaldo’s subsequent penalty attempt struck the post and stayed out in the 25th minute, his difficult spell was far from over. Just minutes later, even as Bayer Leverkusen found themselves reduced to ten men following Robert Andrich’s 33rd-minute red card, the 23-year-old defender committed another critical foul. This time, Zabarnyi brought down Christian Kofane inside the penalty area, resulting in a second penalty for the German side in the 37th minute.This time, Bayer Leverkusen converted, with Aleix García leveling the score in the 38th minute.
Fortunately for Zabarnyi and PSG, the team managed to recover from these setbacks. Once the match returned to 10-vs-10, PSG found another gear. They responded emphatically, with Désiré Doué netting a brace (41st and 45th+3 minutes) and khvicha Kvaratskhelia adding a breathtaking goal. By halftime, PSG had established a commanding 4-1 lead, effectively erasing the impact of Zabarnyi’s earlier mistakes.
This match serves as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in high-stakes European football. For Zabarnyi, it was a night where individual errors, though costly, were ultimately overshadowed by his team’s collective resilience and offensive firepower. The focus now shifts to how PSG will build on this performance and whether Zabarnyi can regain his usual composure in upcoming fixtures.
Fans can follow live commentary and updates of the match on leparisien.fr.
