Manchester City go into the second leg of this UEFA Champions League semi-final with a 2-1 lead after an impressive comeback in the French capital. Trailing through a Marquinhos header at halftime, City turned the tie around through Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez.
Mauricio Pochettino’s (PSG) side were quick off the mark, with Neymar testing Ederson before Marquinhos rose above the City defense to head home Angel Di Maria’s corner in the 15th minute. Phil Foden was denied by Keylor Navas in the visitors’ clearest chance, but overall Paris kept Josep Guardiola’s men at arm’s length before the break.
The second half was a different story. City dominated possession and their pressure was reflected in a Kevin De Bruyne cross-shot that crept in at the far post, followed by a Riyad Mahrez free-kick that went through the Parisian wall and past Navas.
Any hope of a recovery by the home side disappeared when Idrissa Gueye was sent off for a late tackle on De Bruyne.
Highlights De Bruyne and his reaction
Paris suffered their eighth home defeat of the season after letting this game slip away. Pochettino’s side had controlled the first half very well and should have scored more than one goal before they were guilty of falling back and letting City run all over them. The result was a dramatic turnaround that leaves them needing another heroic performance away from home to match their wins at Barcelona and Bayern.
City deserve a lot of credit for a superb second half at the Parc des Princes. Guardiola’s side gave their all in the first half and, despite the good fortune of a draw, Paris can’t complain about the result. The tie is far from over, of course, but City head into next week’s second leg with their heads held high.
Reactions of the protagonists
dijo Kevin De Bruyne, midfielder of Man. City
“In the first half we rushed too much. That’s not the way we are set up as a team. In the second half we tried to find spaces with more patience. The progression we made as a team was good. We knew there were going to be moments when we were going to suffer. We knew we were going to have to run a lot, but we had quality. That’s how it will be in the second game as well.
“Sometimes you have to be more relaxed. We changed the way we pressed a bit [in the second half]. It’s not easy against Neymar, Mbappé and Di Maria. I’m very satisfied with the performance. This club doesn’t have a lot of experience at this stage of the competition. All I want is for us to be ourselves in the second leg. We are good at playing a certain way, we can’t do it any other way.”
said Josep Guardiola, coach of Man. City
“We are very disappointed with the two goals. It’s hard to accept that this happened in the semifinals, it’s really painful. In the second half they were more consistent. We had a hard time coping with them. Physically they were a bit more aggressive. It was difficult for us to win the ball back.
Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain coach
@alex-martinez Source: Uefa Oficial
