Manchester City 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain: 5 Talking Points as Citizens secure comeback win against star-studded PSG
One of the finest games of the season ended in favor of the blue team from Manchester in Matchday 5 of the Champions League. Pep Guardiola's men came from a goal down to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus in the second half saw Man City overwhelm PSG at the Etihad. Despite an exceptional defensive performance from the visitors, the Citizens were simply too superior for the French league leaders.
Once again, it was Kylian Mbappe who opened the scoring. The French forward latched onto a messi' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>messi" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Leo Messi cross and dispatched his shot through the legs of Ederson in the 50th minute. The 22-year-old scored his 29th goal in the Champions League to give PSG the lead against Man City.
Top dogs! 1️⃣👑
#ManCity https://t.co/k1zMSz1UcH
However, the French side's lead proved to be only transient. Mauricio Pochettino's men eventually succumbed to the tremendous pressure from the hosts, as they conceded the equalizer in the 63rd minute and the final goal of the game in the 76th.
Football fans couldn't have asked for a better Wednesday night game as two world-class teams went head-to-head in an attempt to top their group. Although City came out on top, PSG should be proud of their performance on the night.
And on that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from this fixture.
#1 A quiet day at the office for Leo Messi and Neymar
PSG's front three wreaked havoc at the Parc de Princes when Man City visited the French capital in the reverse fixture. The French giants beat the Blues 2-1 courtesy of a brilliant winning goal by Leo Messi.
But this match was a rather disappointing night for both Messi and Neymar, considering the unbelievable standards they've set for themselves over the past decade. Throughout the 90, the duo only attempted 3 shots and won 9 duels between them.
The Brazilian also missed a glaring chance in the second half. Had it been converted, PSG might have gone on to win or at least extract a point from the match.
Credit where it's due, however— Manchester City's defenders were prepared for this challenge. They were up against two of the best players of this generation, and it would be safe to say that Pep Guardiola's men schooled them.
The Parisians host Club Brugge in the final matchday of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. Both Neymar and Messi will be looking to add a few goals to their name before entering the business end of the competition.
#2 Super-sub Gabriel Jesus!
Comeback complete ✅
🇧🇷 Gabriel Jesus puts Manchester City in front against Paris! ⚽️
#UCL https://t.co/5hdXAFUqNO
Talk about turning a game on its head. One would argue that Man City completely dominated PSG right from the start, but the home side was toothless in front of goal for many parts of the game.
The visitors defended extremely well and made sure Man City's prolonged possession could not be converted into an advantage. However, their resilience only lasted until Gabriel Jesus was subbed in during the 54th minute.
The 24-year-old played a crucial role in helping Man City bag the much-needed equalizer just 10 minutes after entering the pitch. Raheem Sterling got on the end of his attempt at goal to restore parity in the game.
The Brazilian stood his ground against two heavyweight centre-backs in Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe, and the striker was a problem PSG's defensive pair couldn't handle.
After setting up the equalizer, Gabriel Jesus scored the winning goal with a lovely side-footed half-volley from right outside the 6-yard box. In his brief cameo, the Brazilian pitched in with a goal and an assist and deservingly won the MOTM for his performance.
#3 Kylian Mbappe shines on the big stage once again
At the age of 22, Kylian Mbappe has now scored goals at the Camp Nou, Santiago Bernabeu, Allianz Arena, Anfield, Old Trafford and the Etihad. The list goes on. If the task is to score goals against big teams on the big stage, then Kylian Mbappe is your go-to man.
The former Monaco star did not have as much freedom and time on the ball as he would have liked. City's defenders were well-drilled and ensured they did not give Mbappe too much time on the ball or too much space to run into.
But even on a day where he wasn't at his best, Mbappe managed to score an important goal. His penchant for turning up in big games is why he is considered a generational talent like no other. The forward takes his season tally to 21 goal contributions in all competitions.
#4 Man City subjugated PSG's midfield; Marco Verrati a huge miss
For all the talent that PSG's front three possess, Pochettino has found it difficult to set up the right midfield to provide protection for his forwards. The ideal midfield for PSG would be the trio of Marco Verrati, Georginio Wijnaldum and one of Leandro Paredes or Idrissa Gueye.
However, the former two suffered injury blows during training sessions in Manchester, ruling them out for this game. It could've been a different story for PSG with Verrati and Wijnaldum in the team, and their drive in the middle of the field was sorely missed on the night.
The result we deserved cos we dominated from start to finish 🌟💪🏼 Top of the group! Gr🎱 support tonight 💙 @mancity https://t.co/eskKKhygNJ
Even so, take nothing away from Man City's midfield. Led by Rodri, Man City's performance in the middle of the park was dominant, to say the least. Despite the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, the home side weren't struggling to create chances.
While Zinchenko's addition in midfield was a surprise for many, Cancelo's inverted role along with Gundogan's experience and Rodri's industry was too much for PSG to manage.
#5 PSG need ramos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Sergio Ramos
Only a few pieces are missing in PSG's quest to win the Champions League. One of them is the return of Sergio Ramos.
The four-time Champions League winner has resumed training and Pochettino would be delighted with the possibility of his return for the knockout stages of the UCL.
Presnel Kimpembe is a top defender, but the French international tends to concede avoidable fouls which put his team under more pressure. Ramos, even at the age of 35, walks into almost any club's starting XI with ease.
The veteran's ability to lead, dominate in the air, play out from the back and read the game is second to none. Therefore, his role in this PSG XI is crucial for the French club to achieve their ambitious targets this season.