Big clubs meeting in the EUFA Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain hosting Manchester City at Paris. Image: Paris Saint-Germain shared via Facebook.
(The Post News)– On a rainy night at the Parc des Princes, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland scored all of the goals in the second half to give Menchester City a solid lead. However, after a lengthy VAR review, Joao Neves put the French champions ahead, while Bradley Barcola tied the score at the hour mark, Ousmane Dembele pulled one back, and Goncalo Ramos sealed the victory in the end.
With PSG one point behind them in 26th place and 24th-place City holding the final qualifying slot in the 36-team standings with eight points, both of these formidable teams entered their penultimate match in the league phase in Paris in difficulty. City was aware that a victory here would likely secure their place in the playoffs the following month and deal a crushing blow to PSG, the season’s semi-finalists.
As Guardiola’s squad drops out of the qualifying spots with one game remaining, PSG advances to 10 points, a total that may now be sufficient to advance. Nonetheless, a victory over Club Brugge at home on Wednesday should be enough to move them up in the standings. Guardiola, the coach of City, who guided his team to the 2023 Champions League, faced off against Luis Enrique of PSG, a close friend and former Barcelona teammate.
After winning just one of their previous 13 games at the end of 2024, the Premier League champions were looking to build on their recent comeback, which had seen them win four and draw one of their past five games. In order to challenge Bradley Barcola, the PSG left-winger who has returned to form at the ideal moment after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was signed from Napoli, City started Matheus Nunes at right-back. The Georgian winger was in the stands with City’s injured Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, and French NBA player Victor Wembanyama, but he was ineligible for this game.
They witnessed PSG, wearing a brand-new fourth uniform, dominate the first half’s possession and scoring opportunities. They have already lost to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season, so it has been a recurring shortcoming for them. They were particularly unfortunate, though, as an Achraf Hakimi goal was disallowed just before halftime due to a close offside call on Nuno Mendes during the buildup.
After the half, however, everything changed as City made two substitutions, including replacing Savinho on the left wing with Grealish, while PSG brought on Dembele.Five minutes later, Grealish scored after Gianluigi Donnarumma parried an effort from Bernardo Silva. And when the visitors, who had triumphed in four of their previous five encounters with PSG, scored once again, the stadium fell silent.
Nunes advanced and found Grealish, who had a tap-in for his 23rd goal of the season after the unfortunate Neves deflected his cutback into Haland’s path. Even though PSG was taken aback, their comeback was astounding, particularly considering how poorly they had been able to score goals this season. On minute 56, Barcola surged forward, allowing Dembele to swing a shot past Ederson to give them a one-goal.
Shortly after, Barcola scored the equaliser, tipping in the rebound after Desire Doue’s attempt struck the crossbar. Dembele hit the crossbar before the home team took the lead on minute 78, when the small Neves was totally clear of any defender to head in Vitinha’s free-kick at the back post. The home team had all the impetus. When Ramos, a substitute, scored the game’s final kick in injury time, the celebrations were halted until the conclusion of a drawn-out VAR review.
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