PSG vs Manchester City Review
Paris Saint-Germain staged an unexpected comeback in the second half, overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat Manchester City 4-2 during the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. With the threat of elimination from the league phase looming for both teams before the match, these two clubs had to secure a result in this game. The first half was evenly contested, with opportunities for both sides amid the heavy rain in Paris. Erling Haaland nearly scored with a header from Phil Foden’s cross, but it went straight to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Shortly after, Fabián Ruiz came close to scoring from a corner, sending a shot through a crowd of players, but Joško Gvardiol managed to clear it off the line.
The best opportunities of the half occurred just before the halftime whistle. First, Donnarumma was called into action again, making a smart near-post save to deny Savinho from scoring during a quick breakaway. This save proved crucial when Nuno Mendes charged towards City’s goal, pulling the ball back for Achraf Hakimi, who was ready to score but was ruled offside by a narrow margin. The three halftime substitutions made by Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola indicated their determination to secure three points that could significantly impact the qualification standings.
As the second half began, City was in the final playoff position on the standings, one point and one place ahead of their opponents, but that lead quickly increased within five minutes. Manuel Akanji skillfully maneuvered past his defender on the right wing and delivered a cutback to Bernardo Silva, whose shot was deflected into the path of substitute Jack Grealish, who scored the opening goal of the match.
Three minutes later, Grealish received the ball in the box and, after a significant deflection, assisted Haaland for an easy tap-in. Not to be outdone, Ousmane Dembélé, who was introduced at halftime by Enrique, quickly reduced the deficit before the hour mark by scoring after a direct run from Bradley Barcola. Remarkably, just 11 minutes later, Barcola himself scored to level the match, finishing expertly after Désiré Doué’s shot hit the crossbar. With City winless in their last three UCL matches (one draw and two losses), they found themselves under pressure as Dembélé nutmegged Silva and struck the crossbar.
This momentum led to a crucial goal when João Neves headed in a set-piece from Vitinha at the back post, completing PSG’s comeback. After Dembélé had a goal ruled out for offside, fellow substitute Gonçalo Ramos secured the victory deep into stoppage time, helping Les Parisiens clinch an important win that puts them in the qualification spots with one game remaining. However, PSG’s chances of reaching the knockout stage for the 13th consecutive year are still uncertain, while this result pushes City out of the playoff positions.
