UEFA Champions League, Matchday 2, 14/10/26

Paris Saint-Germain saw off a spirited Manchester City comeback to secure all three points (2-4). Luis Enrique’s side had raced into the lead before Enzo Maresca’s changes at half-time gave the Premier League side hope in the second half.

The Match

PSG are a moments team and they decided that this was one of them. With eyes on Manchester City and their current off-field issues, parallels with PSG and their own state ownership came back under the spotlight. They ensured, however, that football was centre stage on a night where that wasn’t guaranteed to be the case.

Manchester City simply couldn’t contain PSG in the first-half. Even with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratkshelia left on the bench, the reigning champions rang rings around Manchester City. Ring perhaps isn’t the word as that insinuates a shape and shape does not define this fluid PSG side. You were just as likely to find Achraf Hakimi popping up in the centre-forward position as you were in his designated right-back berth. Once again, designated position and PSG don’t necessarily rhyme.

In any case, City struggled to pick up the Moroccan, who popped up in the box to head off the post. It was a rare moment of wastefulness from the visitors in the first half. One minute later, Vitinha was more clinical, finishing first time from a Maghnes Akliouche pull back. That was PSG’s third. Prior, Désiré Doué had opened the scoring, perhaps surprising Gianluigi Donnarumma with his quickly-taken dragged effort to the near post.

The France international was then the provided for his compatriot, Ousmane Dembélé. The Ballon d’Or winner had initially played the ball to Doué before the favour was returned. It was an inviting ball into the back post that Dembélé gratefully received. Donnarumma was happy to see his former teammates in the tunnel before the match, even giving a kiss to Marquinhos before walking out. He was sick of the sight of them by the time he returned to the dressing room.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Luis Enrique, both of whom have leapt to Manchester City’s defence since their guilty verdict would have been welcome additions to Manchester City’s defence, who simply couldn’t contain PSG.

Three goals and so three changes from Manchester City at half-time. Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye, and Mattheus Nunes on; Ruben Dias, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki off. Lift off at last. Erling Haaland, so quiet in the first half was handed the armband and unleashed in behind. He found Antoine Semenyo, who couldn’t test Matvey Safonov with his deflected effort.

Enzo Fernandez was the next to be found guilty of that same crime. The Argentine ought to have at least tested the Russian but couldn’t even find the target with a simple free header at the back post. But Manchester City now had impetus and whilst Iliman Ndiaye couldn’t finish from a tight angle, he could set up Haaland to head home in the same move just seconds later.

Any hope was quickly extinguished when Donnarumma offered a gift to his former teammates. He thought that he had saved Maghnes Akliouche’s effort from the edge of the box, but the ball looped high and behind him, bouncing just before the line and then over it, despite the Italian’s efforts to recover. Time was of the essence for the Cityzens to breach the gap that PSG had built.

Josko Gvardiol’s header at the near post beat Safonov but not Nuno Mendes at the back post. Safonov was beaten again by Fernandez’s effort but it wasn’t good enough to beat the post. Haaland’s effort then wasn’t good enough to beat the crossbar. There are fine margins and Manchester City frequently fell the wrong side of them.

But the difference between the Manchester City of the first half and that of the second was night and day. The chances kept coming and the next was entirely of Bouaddi’s making. He won the ball back initially and then played it back for Haaland, unmarked, he this time did find the target and did tuck it beyond Safonov. It was an emphatic response from Manchester City and Safonov responded, too, making a miraculous save from Haaland, who, on the slide, looked to have reduced the deficit to just one.

Donnarumma would make a big save, denying Ferran Torres from the penalty spot, but by then, it was too late. A game of two halves but one that, placed within its complex geopolitical context, reminded us that it was just that – a game.

Manchester City player ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 3

A performance that was more reminiscent of his beginnings at PSG rather than his final season at the Parc des Princes. He didn’t get down quick enough for the opener and he has no excuses for letting Akliouche’s effort beat him.

Josko Gvardiol – 4

Ruben Dias – 4

Replaced by Mattheus Nunes (6) at half-time.

Marc Guehi – 4

Abdukodir Khusanov – 4

Elliot Anderson – 4

Enzo Fernandez – 3

Rayan Cherki – 3

Replaced by Ayyoub Bouaddi (7) at half-time. The Moroccan was a game-changer. If Manchester City ensured a much greater degree of control, both territorial and possessional, Bouaddi was the main reason why. He earned an assist for his efforts.

Jérémy Doku – 5

Replaced by Iliman Ndiaye (6) at half-time. You felt that, as an OM fan, he wanted to make a big impact off the bench. He got an assist and looked threatening, especially when given space, although he didn’t always make the right choices in possesion.

Erling Haaland – 5

Antoine Semenyo – 5

PSG player ratings

Matvey Safonov – 5

Nuno Mendes – 6

Willian Pacho – 6

Marquinhos – 6

Achraf Hakimi – 6

Warren Zaire-Emery – 4

Vitinha – 8

Nominated man of the match, he got his goal, but it was his ubiquity that caught the eye. Wherever he was, so was the ball, at least in the first half. He hasn’t always been at his highest level in recent months but this was a welcome return to form.

Fabian Ruiz – 6

Désiré Doué – 7

Whilst the Stade Rennais academy product faded as the game progressed, he was quick out the traps and killed this game early on. His opener was sublime as was his floated ball for PSG’s second goal. He needed a bit of direction from Luis Enrique, who was in intense discussion with Doué before his opening goal, but it allowed him to put in a match-winning performance.

Ousmane Dembélé – 6

Maghnes Akliouche – 7

His first goal for the club, netted against Le Mans FC over the weekend, clearly gave him confidence. It was a bold choice for Luis Enrique to start him over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but he justified it even before his goal.