Mauro Icardi Lifts PSG to 1-0 Win over Club Brugge in UCL Group Stage

Paris Saint-Germain remain atop Group A of the UEFA Champions League following a 1-0 win over Club Brugge on Wednesday at Parc des Princes in Paris.

PSG have now reeled off four straight victories to open the group stage and maintain a five-point lead over Real Madrid. By beating Brugge, they've sealed passage to the round of 16 and will now be heavy favorites to win the group.

Neymar was eligible to suit up for the first time in the competition, having served his three-match suspension, but he missed Wednesday's match as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

OptaJean noted the Brazilian star has now missed more games than he has played for PSG:

Without Neymar, Mauro Icardi provided the attacking verve necessary to put Brugge away as he scored in the 22nd minute to put PSG ahead.

Keylor Navas saved a penalty from Mbaye Diagne in the 76th minute to preserve the clean sheet and secure three points.

The referee pointed to the spot and gave a yellow card to Thiago Silva for a foul on Diagne in the 18-yard box. The decision was upheld after a video review, though Silva continued to argue about the ruling.

Paris Saint-Germain might have felt wronged by the call, but the situation resolved itself with Navas' save. The PSG goalkeeper smothered Diagne's shot with little difficulty.

Charles De Ketelaere, who entered the match in the 86th minute, almost salvaged a point for Brugge in the 88th minute when he eluded multiple PSG players and was running on goal from the edge of the 18-yard box. Silva got in the way of his shot to remove the threat.

Brugge finished with four shots on target to PSG's two and looked particularly dangerous toward the end of the match when they threw caution to the wind after Diagne's missed penalty.

But Paris Saint-Germain have yet to allow a single goal in the Champions League and Wednesday's match was another example of their defensive solidity.

Brugge made PSG's life difficult in the opening half, but Icardi's opener couldn't have come much more easily. He remained just onside as the ball bounced between the legs of Angel Di Maria and Simon Deli to give him a tap-in.

The Argentine striker has provided exactly the dynamism in the final third Paris Saint-Germain have needed with Neymar missing so much time. Icardi now has eight goals and one assist in nine appearances across Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Brugge nearly grabbed an equalizer against the run of play in the 50th minute. Navas saved a shot from Emmanuel Dennis and reacted quickly to deny David Okereke's effort off the rebound. Those were the Belgian side's best scoring chances from open play.

Diagne's penalty miss summed up what has been a frustrating group stage for his side. Brugge opened with a scoreless draw against Galatasaray and then threw away a two-goal lead against Real Madrid to draw 2-2 in their second match. Back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain effectively mean they're playing for third place in Group A.

What's Next?

Paris Saint-Germain head to the Santiago Bernabeu for a UCL matchup with Real Madrid on November 26. A win or draw will guarantee PSG win the group. On the same day, Brugge face-off with Galatasaray in Istanbul in their next Group A game.