Paris Saint-Germain achieved a great feat coming back from two goals down to earn an absolutely vital victory over Manchester City in the penultimate round of the Champions League group stage at the Parc des Princes.
After a dynamic first half without goals, there were four before an hour was up, as Jack Grealish (50′) and Erling Haaland (53′) put the Premier League side ahead, and Ousmane Dembele (56′) and Bradley Barcola (60′) pulled the game back level.
The teams
Both teams have completed significant signings this month, but neither Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for PSG, nor Abdukonir Khusadov and Vitor Reis for Man City, were available. Apart from the newcomers, PSG were also missing Ibrahim Mbaye through injury, just like City missed Rodri, Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb. Kyle Walker was absent as well, being on the verge of a loan move to AC Milan.
For the Ligue 1 champions, Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal, with the back four consisting of Willian Pacho and Marquinhos as the centre-backs, and Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes on the flanks. The trio of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves formed the midfield, while Lee Kang-in and Desire Doue flanked Bradley Barcola in attack.
As for the Premier League champions, Ederson Moraes stood between the posts, shielded by the back four of Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol, and auxiliary right-back Matheus Nunes. With Mateo Kovacic anchoring the midfield, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were tasked with more advanced, creative roles. Savinho attacked from one side, Phil Foden from the other, flanking the towering figure of Erling Haaland.
Lively but goalless first half
Neither side came to play it safe, understandably so as they both desperately needed points. The ball went quickly from one end to the other as each team strove to impose control over what was a lively contest from the start.
However, the first chance came after almost 10 minutes when PSG’s Neves headed over the bar. City responded two minutes later through De Bruyne, whose shot from inside the box Donnarumma saved. Vitinha came close from 20 yards in the 25th minute, and after Bernardo Silva’s deflection earned the home side a corner which caused a scramble, Gvardiol saved City from a certain deficit by clearing the ball off the goal-line.
City created their best chance of the first half in the 39th minute for Savinho, but Donnarumma was alert again. The following minutes belonged completely to the visitors who kept whipping the ball into the box, and they still couldn’t break down the resistance of the Parisians.
One thing that this initiative did bring was an apparent overconfidence for Pep Guardiola’s team, and with under a minute to go, Foden lost the ball in his own half, enabling the hosts to spring their trap. Hakimi eventually put the ball into the net and PSG believed they were ahead, but the VAR reacted and ruled the goal out through offside.
Both coaches made changes at the break. PSG boss Luis Enrique withdrew Lee in favour of Ousmane Dembele, while Pep Guardiola for City sent on Jack Grealish instead of Savinho, and Rico Lewis replaced Ruben Dias who was on a yellow card.
Stunning second half
Not much else changed on the pitch for the first five minutes of the second half, until City attacked through Akanji who suddenly broke down the right wing, reached the six-yard box and pulled the ball back for Silva. Silva’s shot was initially saved by Donnarumma, but Grealish slammed the rebound into the net from close range. Three minutes later, City doubled their lead in a similar way, as De Bruyne’s deflected cross reached Haaland on the far post and the Norwegian striker made no mistake. 0-2.
But less than two minutes later, Barcola broke through the City defence down the left and employed Dembele close to the penalty spot, and the substitute winger converted calmly to bring his team back into the game. Another three minutes later, Barcola really should’ve done better as he cut inside from the left and fired far from the target, but on the stroke of an hour, the PSG winger finally got his goal after Doue’s excellent effort rebounded kindly for him off the bar. 2-2.
The Ligue 1 side now had the psychological advantage and pushed forward hard, seeking to turn the game around completely, and the introduction of Warren Zaire-Emery and Goncalo Ramos instead of Ruiz and Doue brought new energy to Enrique’s team. Barcola came close to scoring again after a scramble in the 66th minute, and Dembele showed his skill by nutmegging Silva and slamming against the crossbar from a tight angle. Hakimi and Neves threatened dangerously in the very next attack.
Guardiola responded to his team looking severely shaken by sending on James McAtee for De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan for Kovacic. With around 12 minutes left on the clock, he moved to strengthen his back line by sending on John Stones for Nunes, but before the former Everton man could do anything, PSG went ahead.
Minute 79 was running when Vitinha whipped a fantastic cross into the box, finding Neves unmarked at the far post, and the Portuguese midfielder hit the back of the net with a nicely hit header. 3-2.
It was now Enrique’s turn to play it safer, as Barcola made way for defender Lucas Hernandez.
In the 83rd minute, Dembele put the ball in the net for what would’ve been PSG’s fourth, but the linesman’s flag was up for offside. Unperturbed by this, the French winger continued looking lively and forced an excellent save from Ederson less than a minute later.
City had a good chance through Gundogan, but the veteran midfielder’s shot went just wide of the target, and Ramos had a great opportunity to settle the match in the 90th minute, but Ederson didn’t allow it.
However, in the final seconds of the three-minute stoppage time, Ramos picked up the ball obviously in an offside position and scored. The linesman raised his flag, but as it happened, the ball had reached the PSG striker off the shoulder of Gvardiol, and the VAR intervened, instructing referee Szymon Marciniak to give the goal. 4-2.
Enrique’s attacking rotations
Manchester City practically haven’t been themselves all season, or to be more accurate, since Rodri tore his ACL. A squad can be as deep as you like, but replacing a Ballon d’Or winner for a long spell is never easy. But even so, it has to be said that the tactical changes PSG coach Enrique made in this game made all the difference.
The hosts started the game with Doue on the left, Barcola in the middle, and Lee on the right. For the first 15 minutes of the second half, it was Barcola on the left, Dembele in the middle, and Doue on the right. Then Ramos came on for Doue and took up the central position, with Dembele now moving right and Barcola staying on the left, until the latter was replaced by Lucas Hernandez in the 81st minute.
That’s three different combinations of PSG’s attacking line, four if one counts the final 10 minutes when Barcola left the pitch, with five players involved in those combinations. Five players with five different styles, different skills, different kinds of pace and different attacking ideas.
So, for example, just as Gvardiol on the left defensive flank for City would’ve gotten used to facing Lee, it was Doue running at him. And when he’d find a way to deal with him, it was suddenly Dembele going for a dribble or putting on a burst of pace.
It was practically impossible for Guardiola to prepare his defenders for this frequent rotation, especially as it seemed the City boss didn’t expect such a tricky approach from fellow ex-Barcelona man in the PSG dugout.
All in all, the whole of the home team and their coach deserved to win this game, not just the attackers. It’s now up to them to make it count in the final round.
Tables turned
City came to Paris sitting just within the 24 spots bringing play-offs qualification and PSG welcomed them from the outside of that bracket, but both their positions obviously changed at the final whistle.
City are now in a very precarious position regarding the possibility of progressing to the play-offs. With one game to go – a home clash with Club Brugge – they have only eight points from seven matches and are 25th, ahead of Dinamo Zagreb merely on goal-difference. At this point, their fate isn’t in their hands anymore, and it may well come to pass that the team that won four consecutive titles in arguably the world’s best league end their Champions League campaign after the group stage, even if they beat Club Brugge next week. To make things even more difficult, Guardiola’s men first play an equally important Premier League game against Chelsea on Saturday.
PSG are among the four teams sitting directly above the Premier League champions with 10 points, together with Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and VfB Stuttgart, and playing in Stuttgart next week, they’ll seek to put a stamp on their spot in the play-offs with another three points.
Unlike their Premier League counterparts, the Ligue 1 champions are doing very well domestically this season as well, holding a nine-point advantage over second-place Olympique Marseille, and before their trip to Germany, they’ll take on 13th-place Stade de Reims at home.
