Manchester City suffered a 4-2 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League as the European champions produced a masterclass display before holding off a second-half fightback at the Etihad Stadium.
With former manager Pep Guardiola watching from the stands alongside chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano, Luis Enrique’s side delivered a clinical performance to claim victory and underline their credentials in the competition.
PSG controlled large periods of the first half, scoring three times in the opening 35 minutes through Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha to leave City chasing the game.
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City responded after the break, with Erling Haaland scoring twice either side of Maghnes Akliouche’s goal, which briefly restored PSG’s three-goal cushion. Despite the hosts’ improved performance, the visitors held on to secure an impressive away win.
“When you see a game at this level, two teams trying to play football, that was the kind of game we thought it would be,” Luis Enrique said after the match.
“They created a huge amount of problems for us today. The team that lost today were perhaps a bit unlucky.”
City coach Enzo Maresca acknowledged his team’s difficult start but argued that their second-half performance deserved a better outcome.
“It has been a bit of a strange game because we conceded two goals in two minutes,” Maresca said. “Second half we did enough to deserve something more.”
The defeat came amid continuing scrutiny of City’s financial affairs. An independent commission ruling last month found the club guilty of more than 100 charges relating to financial impropriety, leaving City facing potential sanctions as they pursue an appeal.
City entered the encounter following a 3-0 victory over Liverpool that kept them top of the Premier League. However, PSG exposed defensive vulnerabilities with their movement, pressing, and clinical finishing in the first half.
Guardiola’s presence in the stands added another dimension to the occasion, marking his return to the Etihad for the first time since leaving the club in May.
Before kick-off, City screened a video celebrating key moments in their history, spanning the period before and after the 2008 Abu Dhabi-backed takeover that transformed the club’s fortunes.
Supporters also unfurled a giant banner reading, “I’m City till I die,” in a show of loyalty as the club continues to face uncertainty over its financial case.
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