Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca remains confident his side can challenge for the UEFA Champions League title despite a 4-2 defeat to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City conceded three goals before half-time in the European encounter, leaving them with a difficult task after the break. Erling Haaland scored twice for the hosts, surpassing Sergio Agüero to become the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Champions League.

Maresca admitted City struggled defensively in the first half but praised their response after the break, insisting the defeat could provide valuable lessons as they pursue European success.

“We are there, we are close,” Maresca said after the match. “I really like to play against PSG. They are brave. I know the way they want to press. They don’t care, they are quite dynamic, go man to man.

“[PSG manager] Luis [Enrique] said to me they had been quite lucky during the 90 minutes. We lost, we move on.”

Naija News reports that the match was City’s first home fixture since the club was found guilty of breaching financial rules. Former manager Pep Guardiola watched from the directors’ box alongside chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak as the club prepared for an appeal linked to the case.

On the pitch, Haaland’s brace offered a positive moment for City, but their defensive shortcomings during the opening 48 minutes proved costly.

Maresca apologised to the home supporters for the team’s first-half display and stressed the importance of maintaining composure against Europe’s strongest sides.

“We can learn many things from the game,” he added. “That even if we concede two against the best team in Europe, we [should] keep doing the right things.

“Against this kind of team it’s already difficult. We lost balance, the distance between players. The reason we struggled in the first half is when we conceded… you think ‘oh my God, we are 2-0 down’.”

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