Manchester City faces potential elimination from the Champions League after relinquishing a 2-0 lead and suffering a 4-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in a dramatic match on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.
Jack Grealish appeared to set the 2023 champions on track for a crucial victory after coming off the bench to score and assist Erling Haaland. However, a turbulent second half saw PSG respond with goals from Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, ultimately taking the lead with a header from Joao Neves 12 minutes from the end.
Goncalo Ramos capped off a thrilling encounter with a late strike, confirmed after a lengthy VAR review, sealing a memorable night for the hosts. The loss leaves City outside the top 24 in the Champions League standings, necessitating a win against Club Brugge in their final game next week to reach the playoff round.
Despite having a disallowed goal in the first half, PSG dominated the early stages, taking advantage of a lively atmosphere. Desire Doue tested Ederson early on, while Ruben Dias received a yellow card for stopping a break from Achraf Hakimi.
City threatened intermittently with efforts from Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, but PSG came close to scoring multiple times, with Ederson making key saves. Just before half-time, Nuno Mendes sent a perfect cross to Hakimi, who finished strongly, but VAR ruled the goal out due to Mendes being offside in the build-up.
Seizing their opportunity, City made a stunning start to the second half, tallying two quick goals within the first eight minutes. The first came when Manuel Akanji set up Bernardo Silva, whose shot was blocked by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Grealish, now instrumental in the game, capitalized on the rebound, finishing emphatically from close range to net the opener.
Shortly after, Grealish turned provider, deftly cutting the ball back for Haaland, who finished with his usual composure, doubling City’s lead.
However, the tide turned rapidly for City. PSG’s Dembele, a substitute, quickly made an impact, scoring shortly after the hour mark to pull one back for the hosts. His goal prompted a surge in momentum for PSG as they continued to press, with Doue striking the crossbar just moments later. Barcola followed with a clever finish, tying the score at 2-2.
With the crowd roaring, PSG was relentless. Neves scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute, connecting with a Vitinha free-kick and directing a header past Ederson.
City struggled to regain control, and the pressure mounted as they faced constant waves of PSG attacks. Although VAR intervened to disallow a Dembele goal late in the game, there was no stopping Ramos when he added a fourth goal in stoppage time, sealing PSG’s comeback victory.
In summary, while Manchester City entered the match with optimism, their inability to maintain their lead has intensified pressure on manager Pep Guardiola as they navigate the remainder of the Champions League campaign.
Credit: The Standard