Key events
David Hytner was at the City of Manchester Stadium, and here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Enzo Maresca talks to TNT Sports. “We started quite good until the first goal … then we conceded the second after one minute so that created a little bit of bad feeling … so first half we struggled … second half we were much, much, much better and probably deserve something more … [the first half] was a bit strange to be honest … we were in the game … but it’s really difficult when you concede two goals in two minutes … but we used half-time … we adjust something … second half we created enough to deserve something more … we adjusted the way we were pressing … something on the ball … it was completely different … Luis [Enrique] was quite honest at the end of the game … he said ‘we have been quite lucky today’ … you have to be clinical … don’t lose the balance … Saturday [at home to Ipswich Town] is a Premier League game and we need to continue our run.”
This result puts PSG at the top of the nascent Champions League. Manchester City are down in 17th place. City host AEK next Tuesday, while PSG welcome Barcelona to the French capital on the same evening.
Désiré Doué speaks to TNT. “It was amazing today … the atmosphere here is amazing too … you want to play this type of game … we did good today … the second half was not quite as good but the result is here … we did good with the ball … we respect the tactics of the coach … when you win 3-0 at half time, you think you can relax, but this is the Champions League at the highest level … we have to be better defensively … be more focused.”
Not sure how there were only (!) six (!!) goals in the end. That could have ended 2-10, 6-6, 8-6 or anything in between. Manchester City were much improved in the second half, but paid the price for not turning up for the first, during which PSG at times went into full Harlem Globetrotters mode. The reigning champions were outrageously good; the half-time scoreline of 0-3 didn’t flatter them at all. City will take succour from the performances of two-goal Erling Haaland, plus the second-half subs Iliman Ndiaye and Ayyoub Bouaddi, but on this evidence PSG are going to take some stopping, especially if they can keep their concentration for the full 90. Very early doors, of course, but the three-peat looks very much on for Luis Enrique’s side, who celebrate with feeling in front of their fans.
ShareFULL TIME: Manchester City 2-4 Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique and Enzo Maresca embrace. Their teams put on one hell of a show.
90 min +3: Kvaratskhelia hasn’t done much since coming on. Not by his lofty standards. He tries to address that with a power-dribble down the middle, then a probe down the right, but there’s nothing doing.
90 min +1: Ah well, Torres will always have East Rutherford.
ShareTorres misses the penalty!
90 min: … and after a stop and skip, Torres scuffs towards the bottom right. Easy for Donnarumma! The City fans enjoyed that. Then Fernandez makes way for O’Reilly. There will be four additional minutes.
Oooh, that’s poor from Torres. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 16.55 EDT
89 min: … but Nunes had made the slightest of contact. Torres to take. Loud boos for the former City man as he prepares to take …
88 min: … but VAR is going to take a look …
SharePenalty for PSG!
87 min: PSG clear and counter. Mendes and Torres one-two down the middle. Mendes enters the box, only to be nicked by Nunes. The referee points to the spot.
Matheus Nunes fouls Nuno Mendes to concede a penalty. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.52 EDT
86 min: Haaland rolls a pass into the PSG box from the left. Semenyo bustles. He can’t get a shot away, not at first, but eventually slices over from ten yards. Big miss. Or did that take a nick? It took a nick. Corner. From which …
84 min: A PSG double-switch as Hernandez and Beraldo replace Ruiz and Zaire-Emery.
83 min: Nunes races into the PSG box down the right and crosses low for Haaland, who slides in at the far stick and hook-forces the ball goalwards … only for Safonov to sensationally block on the line. Wonderful play all around.
82 min: Luis Enrique comes to the touchline and gives his players some beneficial advice, utilising letters such as F and JEFF.
80 min: Semenyo threads a long-range drive towards the bottom right. Easy for Safonov.
78 min: Neves nearly releases Torres down the inside-left channel with a mid-pirouette side-footed volley. Not quite, because Khusanov slides in to flick clear. That would have been some assist.
77 min: Hakimi has the chance to release Torres down the middle, but looks for Kvaratskhelia on the left instead. Bad decision. Kvaratskhelia enters the box and drags a tame shot across Donnarumma and wide right.
76 min: PSG respond by replacing Dembélé and Akliouche with João Neves and former City striker Ferran Torres.
ShareGOAL! Manchester City 2-4 Paris Saint-Germain (Haaland 75)
Bouaddi one-twos his way down the right and cuts back for Haaland, who sweeps into the bottom left from 12 yards. It’s on! Again! Maybe!
Erling Haaland pulls another one back for Man City. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.45 EDT
74 min: The referee Sven Jablonski is shoved over from behind by Fernandez. Hilarity ensues. While that’s going on, Gvardiol crosses from the left. Haaland wins a header at the far stick and pings the ball off the top of the crossbar. But no matter, because …
72 min: Anderson drives in from the left and shoots from distance. It’s deflected over for another City corner. Fernandez’s delivery isn’t so good this time, but PSG fail to clear their lines, and the ball drops to Semenyo, whose low shot is blocked by Pacho. Then the flag pops up for offside.
71 min: … and now Fernandez pings a long-range shot off the junction of right-hand post and crossbar. This game is proper daft.
70 min: Fernandez takes what is effectively a corner from the left. Gvardiol flicks a header towards the top right. It’s heading in, but Mendes eyebrows off the line and clear!
69 min: Anderson jinks his way past Zaire-Emery near the left-hand corner flag. He’s scuttling clear along the byline when he’s cynically brought down by the man he’s just beaten. Zaire-Emery goes into the book.
68 min: Fernandez slips Haaland into a bit of space down the left. Haaland slices wildly over the bar in a state of great irritation.
66 min: If this isn’t bad enough for City, here comes the best winger in the world, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He replaces Désiré Doué.
65 min: That goal has taken all of the air out of the stadium … and from Manchester City’s sail. Semenyo tries to whip up the storm again, nipping past Pacho on the right before rippling the side netting. Safonov had it covered.
64 min: Haaland tries to hit back immediately, but his thunderous shot from an angle on the right sails harmlessly wide left.
ShareGOAL! Manchester City 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain (Akliouche 63)
On the edge of the City D, Akliouche picks up Dembele’s low pass from the right, his back to goal. He takes a touch, turns, and peals a shot towards the top left. Donnarumma gets a strong hand to stop it going in … but not strong enough, because when the ball drops back down and lands, the spin takes it back towards the net and over the line.
Ah. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianMaghnes Akliouche scores the fourth goal past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.33 EDT
62 min: Haaland has reached the 37-goal mark in 60 Champions League matches; for the record, it took Lionel Messi 80.
61 min: Semenyo is booked for a crude lunge on Mendes.
60 min: Semenyo feeds Nunes on the overlap down the right. Nunes crosses long for Ndiaye, who shins his shot from eight yards. Now it’s PSG’s turn to look a bit ragged.
58 min: Fernandez crosses long from the left. Haaland flicks on. The ball sails wide right, but any touch from either Guehi or Khusanov, both sliding in, would have surely cut the deficit in half. City have been fantastic since the break.
57 min: Ndiaye has been an electric eel since coming on at the break. He sizzles his way down the left again, trying to force home from a tight angle. Safonov does just enough.
56 min: Haaland is now Manchester City’s number-one goalscorer in Champions League history, by the way. His 37th in the competition for the club puts him one ahead of Sergio Agüero.
55 min: Semenyo jigs in from the left, seeing Pacho off with ease, only to lift his shot over Safonov and off the crossbar. The ball drops to Haaland, who air-whiffs his shot from eight yards! How on earth did he not score?! But his blushes are spared, because turns out Semenyo was offside at the start of the move anyway.
Oh, what a miss from Erling Haaland! Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.24 EDT
54 min: That’s got the crowd going for the first time tonight. And how! And then …
ShareGOAL! Manchester City 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain (Haaland 53)
Mendes really should be booked for wrapping his arms around Semenyo’s waist. But somehow no. Then from the free kick, Ndiaye nearly forces a low shot into the bottom left, only for Safonov to parry. But then he picks up possession again, swinging in from the left. Haaland power-glances a header across Safonov and into the top right! Is it on?
Erling Haaland pulls a goal back for City! Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.18 EDT
51 min: A PSG free kick near the centre circle. Nuno Mendes goes for goal, having spotted Donnarumma off his line. Not quite, but full marks for sass and ambition.
49 min: Semenyo dribbles artfully down the right and curls a cross towards Fernandez at the far stick. Fernandez has to convert this sensational cross … but slaps a downward header wide left. City should be on the scoresheet, and speaking of which, here’s Matt Dony with a quip he describes himself as the “lowest of low-hanging fruit … if City carry on playing this badly, it could end 1-114!”
At least he was on target with the water bottle. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.15 EDT
48 min: Haaland barrels down the left and clips a low pass across to Semenyo, whose drive from the edge of the box is deflected high and wide. Haaland couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet to shoot himself. Anyway, the resulting corner comes to nothing, but City have flown out of the blocks here, clearly having been given the half-time what-for.
46 min: Two of the subs quickly into the action. Bouaddi creams a diagonal towards Ndiaye on the left. Ndiaye cuts into the box before hoicking harmlessly over.
City get the second half started. They’ve made a triple change, hooking Cherki, Doku and Dias for Nunes, Bouaddi and Ndiaye.
Half-time postbag. “That 30-odd minutes of football from PSG is some of the best I’ve ever seen. At this level football transcends sport into something approaching art. Just amazing to watch” – Martin Gamage
“Say what you will about the tenets of the Qatari government, but at least they built a team worth the money. From spending a decade as Europe’s most dependable clown show, they’re now quite possibly the best club side since peak-Messi’s peak-Barcelona” – Walter Sobchak Kári Tulinius
“I thought I would enjoy City getting hammered, but it’s hard to muster anything above indifference. It’s all so artificial right now, like trying to get outraged over Cellophane. Bring on the charges/irrefutable evidence so we can all just move on. (I’m watching BSC Preussen v Altglienicke in the German fourth tier this weekend, now that’s proper football)” – Tim Woods
“With everything that is going on, if City score tonight will it be annotated as Asterix the Goal against the Parisians?” – Andy Gordon
“I’ve been pondering on a metaphor for City’s matches and I think they are like entries in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Entertaining, beautifully crafted and attracting fervent fans, but only plausibly real, not actually real at all. Pep’s team were sometimes described as playing football from another planet – maybe they are now” – Gary Naylor
“People derided Arteta’s approach during the final but you simply can’t go toe to toe with this PSG team” – Arthur Simiyu
“Good plan, City have decided to be abysmal to take the pressure off and give the media a break!” – Chris, Corfu
“City need to spend seriously big money in January” – Andrew Goudie
“I sincerely hope that Enzo Maresca is only getting paid once for this sham…bolic performance tonight!” – Justin Kavanagh
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 16.05 EDT
HALF TIME: Manchester City 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
PSG have been sensational; City haven’t been able to do a thing about it. Hey, do you think Luis Enrique took the number Enzo Maresca did on him in the World Club Cup final personally, á la Michael Jordan?
45 min +2: … as has Doku, to be fair, and he cuts in from the left only to scuff a drive straight at Safanov.
45 min +1: Semenyo shoots. Blocked. He’s been City’s best player, which sounds like damning with faint praise, but he’s been lively.
45 min: This is the first time City have conceded three first-half goals at home in the Champions League. They’ll be delighted only two minutes of stoppage time are to be played.
Uh oh. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 15.51 EDT
44 min: … Guehi tries to hack clear, but only manages to slice back towards his own goal. Fortunately for him, straight at Donnarumma. City’s defenders have been all over the place.
43 min: Mendes takes on Dias down the left. The ball clanks off Dias’s arm and out for a corner. From which …
41 min. … but this is better too. City win another corner, this time down the left, and from that, Guehi and Gvardiol get in each other’s way as they attempt to head goalwards from close range. The ball squirts harmlessly wide left.
40 min: Semenyo jinks down the right and enters the box along the touchline. His low cross-cum-shot is turned around the post by Pacho, but more through luck than design. The resulting corner leads to a rare period of City pressure, but Haaland can’t get a shot away when the ball nears him. PSG finally clear their lines. Better from City, though their bar is set so low this evening it may as well be subterranean.
38 min: Zaïre-Emery dribbles towards the City box with great elegance. He sits Khusanov down, but then can’t decide whether to look for Dembele or shoot himself. He does neither. But PSG launch another attack, and Hakimi shoots yet again. Straight at the keeper.