The week leading to the Paris Saint-Germain match was the most challenging of Andrei's young career. Not physically—he'd recovered well from PSV—but mentally.
The missed chance haunted him. In training, he found himself hesitating slightly before shooting, second-guessing decisions that previously felt instinctive.
On Tuesday, after a particularly frustrating training session where he'd missed three clear chances, Bosz pulled him aside.
"What's wrong? Your finishing has been off since Sunday."
"I don't know, coach. Just not feeling sharp."
Bosz studied him carefully. "You're thinking too much. That miss against PSV—you're still carrying it, aren't you?"
Andrei nodded, embarrassed.
"Listen to me. You're eighteen. You've scored three goals and provided six assists this season already. You're performing beyond expectations." Bosz's voice was firm but kind. "But you'll miss chances. Lots of them. Ronaldo misses chances. Lewandowski misses chances. What separates good players from great ones isn't never missing—it's forgetting immediately when you do."
"How do I forget?"
"By focusing on the next opportunity, not the last failure. Mental resilience, Andrei. It's the hardest skill to learn, but the most important."
After training, Andrei stayed for extra shooting practice. Not to fix technical issues—his technique was fine. But to rebuild confidence, muscle memory overriding mental doubt.
He stayed for ninety minutes, hitting shots from various angles and distances. Gradually, rhythm returned. Shots that had been tentative became decisive again.
Shooting Practice Results:
Shots Taken: 87
On Target: 74 (85%)
Goals: 53 (61%)
Confidence: Rebuilding
Frenkie de Jong stayed to help, feeding him passes, offering encouragement.
"You're overthinking," Frenkie observed. "Just hit it. You're too talented to miss consistently."
"Tell that to my brain."
"Your brain is the problem. Turn it off. Play on instinct."
Easier said than done, but Andrei tried. By the end of the session, he felt marginally better.
That evening, Elena made traditional Romanian sarmale—comfort food from home. They ate on their terrace despite the September chill, wrapped in blankets, watching the canal.
"Better?" she asked, noticing his slightly improved mood.
"A bit. Bosz talked to me. Said I need to forget mistakes faster."
"He's right. You're carrying too much in your head." Elena set down her fork. "Can I tell you something as a journalist, not your girlfriend?"
"Sure."
"I've covered football for five years. Interviewed hundreds of players. The ones who succeed long-term—they all have short memories for failure. The ones who don't—they're the ones who dwell, who let one mistake become ten, who collapse under pressure."
"Which type am I?"
"Still being determined. But Andrei—you have the talent to be elite. The question is whether you have the mentality. Champions League against PSG in three days—that's your test. Will you let PSV's miss define you? Or will you prove it was just one moment in a long career?"
Her words hit home. She was right—this was a mental test, not a physical or technical one.
"What if I miss again?"
"Then you miss. And you move on. Success isn't about perfection—it's about resilience."
Champions League Group Stage - Matchday 2
Paris Saint-Germain vs Ajax
Parc des Princes, Paris
September 27, 2017
The trip to Paris felt like entering another world. Everything about PSG screamed wealth and ambition—from their training facilities to the Parc des Princes stadium to the star-studded lineup.
PSG had spent over €400 million that summer alone—€222 million for Neymar from Barcelona, €180 million for Kylian Mbappé from Monaco. They possessed attacking talent that rivaled any club in history.
Paris Saint-Germain - Key Information:
Coach: Unai Emery (Spanish tactician, former Sevilla manager)
Star Players:
Neymar (LW) - €222 million signing, Brazil captain, one of world's best
Kylian Mbappé (RW) - €180 million, France wonderkid, explosive pace
Edinson Cavani (ST) - Uruguay international, prolific scorer
Ángel Di María (CAM) - Argentina international, Champions League experience
Marco Verratti (CM) - Italy international, world-class midfielder
Thiago Silva (CB) - Brazil captain, elite defender
Dani Alves (RB) - Former Barcelona/Juventus, legendary right-back
This wasn't just a strong team. This was a collection of galácticos assembled to win the Champions League.
Ajax was the massive underdog. Nobody gave them a chance—the bookmakers had PSG as overwhelming favorites, the media predicted a comfortable home victory.
But football wasn't played on paper.
The day before the match, Ajax trained at the Parc des Princes. Walking onto the pitch where legends had played was surreal. Andrei stood at the center circle, looking around at the 48,000 empty seats, imagining them filled tomorrow.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Matthijs de Ligt said, joining him.
"Intimidating."
"Good. Use that. Let the pressure fuel you." De Ligt smiled. "We're not here to survive. We're here to compete. Fuck their billions—we can play football."
Bosz gathered the team for a tactical meeting in the dressing room.
"PSG will dominate possession. They'll press us, force us deep, create chances. That's inevitable—they're too good to stop completely." He clicked through tactical slides. "But they're vulnerable on transitions. When we win the ball, we counter immediately. No dwelling, no complexity. Quick passes, quick decisions, exploit their high defensive line."
Tactical Plan:
Formation: 4-5-1 (defensive) transitioning to 4-3-3 on counters
Key Instruction: Compact defensive block, rapid transitions
Primary Counter Outlet: Andrei's pace down the left
Bosz looked directly at Andrei. "You're key tomorrow. Your pace can hurt them. When we counter, run. Don't hesitate, don't overthink. Just run, and trust your teammates to find you."
"Yes, coach."
Matchday - September 27, 2017
The Parc des Princes was a cauldron of noise—48,000 PSG fans creating an intimidating atmosphere. The Champions League anthem echoed through the stadium, mixing with whistles and chants.
Ajax's 1,000 traveling supporters sang defiantly in one corner, massively outnumbered but refusing to be silenced.
In the tunnel, Andrei stood near Neymar—the Brazilian superstar he'd watched on television for years. Up close, Neymar looked almost normal—shorter than expected, slight build, but with an aura of confidence that was palpable.
This was the Champions League. This was the elite.
Paris Saint-Germain Starting XI (4-3-3):
GK: Alphonse Areola
DEF: Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa
MID: Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Adrien Rabiot
FWD: Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani, Neymar
Ajax Starting XI (4-5-1 defensive):
GK: André Onana
DEF: Joël Veltman, Davinson Sánchez, Matthijs de Ligt, Nicolás Tagliafico
MID: Hakim Ziyech, Lasse Schöne, Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek, Andrei Luca
FWD: Kasper Dolberg (alone up front)
Ajax's formation was clearly defensive—five midfielders, one striker, organized to frustrate PSG's attack.
Current Status:
Confidence: 68% (recovering from PSV disappointment)
Composure: 62.8/99 (still affected by mental doubts)
Pressure Level: EXTREME (facing world-class opposition)
Kickoff.
PSG attacked immediately, dominating possession. Their technical quality was breathtaking—quick combinations, constant movement, probing for weaknesses.
Neymar dropped deep, collecting the ball and dribbling past players with ease. Mbappé's pace terrorized Ajax's defense. Cavani's movement created constant problems.
Ajax defended heroically—blocking shots, making tackles, Onana saving everything. The entire team worked tirelessly, chasing shadows, protecting their goal.
In the 18th minute, PSG's pressure finally told.
Neymar received the ball on the left wing, one-on-one with Veltman. The Brazilian did what he does—a step-over, a body feint, an acceleration past the defender like he wasn't there.
His cross found Cavani at the near post. The Uruguayan striker flicked it past Onana with a deft touch.
GOAL. 1-0 PSG.
The Parc des Princes erupted. PSG was ahead, as expected.
Ajax had to absorb more pressure. Wave after wave of attacks—Mbappé shooting just wide, Neymar hitting the post, Verratti's long-range effort saved by Onana.
Somehow, Ajax held firm. They reached halftime trailing only 1-0—a minor miracle given PSG's dominance.
First Half Statistics:
Possession: PSG 71% - Ajax 29%
Shots: PSG 14 - Ajax 2
Ajax Surviving: Yes
In the dressing room, Bosz was pragmatic.
"Perfect. We're still in this match. One goal down is manageable." He looked at his attacking players. "Second half, we need to create something. One chance, one counter—that's all we need. Stay compact, wait for our moment."
The second half continued the same pattern—PSG attacking, Ajax defending. But Ajax grew into the match, gaining confidence from surviving.
In the 63rd minute, Ajax's moment arrived.
Verratti attempted a risky pass in midfield. Frenkie de Jong intercepted it cleanly and immediately looked forward.
Andrei had been waiting for this—positioned on the left touchline, ready to sprint. The moment Frenkie won the ball, he exploded forward.
The pass came—a long, diagonal ball over PSG's high defensive line. Andrei was running onto it, using his 76-rated pace against Dani Alves, who was tracking back desperately.
Counter-Attack Situation:
1v1 against elite defender
Entire stadium watching
Mental moment: Critical
Andrei's first touch was perfect—controlling the ball at full sprint. Alves was fast for 34, but Andrei was faster. He accelerated past the Brazilian legend, suddenly clear on goal.
Thiago Silva was covering centrally, Kimpembe coming across. Dolberg was making a run through the middle, slightly offside. Andrei was on the left angle, about sixteen yards out.
The PSV miss flashed through his mind—the hesitation, the doubt.
Forget it. Just shoot.
Andrei struck the ball with his right foot, aiming far post, keeping it low.
Areola dove, fingertips outstretched.
The ball whistled past his hand and buried itself in the bottom corner.
GOAL. 1-1.
Time seemed to stop.
Then chaos—Andrei's teammates sprinted toward him, Ajax's traveling fans went berserk, the PSG crowd fell silent in shock.
GOAL SCORED - Champions League vs PSG
Opponent Quality: Elite
Significance: Massive confidence boost
Composure: Proved mental resilience (+0.4)
Overall Rating: 77.1 → 77.7
Andrei didn't remember celebrating. Suddenly he was at the bottom of a pile of teammates, oxygen gone, tears streaming down his face.
He'd done it. Scored at the Parc des Princes. Against PSG. Against doubters. Against his own mind.
System Update:
Mental Barrier: BROKEN
Composure: 62.8 → 63.2 (improved through success under pressure)
Confidence: Fully restored
Status: Proven at elite level
The match continued with renewed intensity. PSG pushed desperately for a winner, throwing everything forward. Ajax defended heroically, every player giving everything.
In the 89th minute, PSG nearly won it—Neymar's curling shot was saved magnificently by Onana, who'd been sensational all night.
When the final whistle blew, Ajax's players collapsed in exhaustion and joy. They'd earned a point at the Parc des Princes. Against PSG's billions, Ajax's academy graduates had competed.
Final score: PSG 1-1 Ajax.
Match Rating: 8.4/10
1 Goal (crucial equalizer)
Defensive work rate: Exceptional
Mental strength: Proven
In the mixed zone, journalists swarmed.
"Andrei, incredible goal. How does it feel to score at the Parc des Princes?"
"Amazing. Surreal. This is what you dream about—scoring in the Champions League against one of the world's best teams."
"You seemed very emotional celebrating. Why?"
Andrei chose honesty. "I missed a big chance against PSV last week. It affected my confidence. Tonight was about proving to myself I could deliver in huge moments. The goal means everything—not just for the team, but personally."
"Do you believe Ajax can qualify from this group?"
"Absolutely. We showed tonight we can compete with anyone. Bayern and PSG are favorites, but we'll fight for every point."
After all obligations, Andrei found a quiet corner of the away dressing room and allowed himself to feel everything—relief, joy, vindication, exhaustion.
Elena texted: I'm watching from Amsterdam. You were magnificent. So proud of you.
His mother texted: Your father saw that goal, my dear . I know he did.
Matthijs de Ligt sat beside him, both players wrapped in towels, completely spent.
"You shut everyone up tonight," De Ligt said. "All the people who said you'd crumble against real competition—you proved them wrong."
"We proved them wrong. The whole team."
"True. But your goal will be remembered. First Romanian to score at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League? That's history."
Andrei hadn't thought about that. He'd made history.
On the flight home, Andrei stared out at the darkness below, processing the evening.
Champions League Group B Standings (After Matchday 2):
Bayern Munich - 6 points
Ajax - 4 points
PSG - 4 points (goal difference worse than Ajax)
Anderlecht - 0 points
Ajax was second in the group. Incredibly, genuinely second. Qualification for the knockout rounds was suddenly realistic.
The beautiful game had tested Andrei's mental resilience. The miss against PSV could have broken him, sent him spiraling into doubt and underperformance.
Instead, he'd responded by scoring at the Parc des Princes.
Champions didn't avoid failure. They overcame it.