Manchester City 2 PSG 4: Observations from a match that had it all at the Etihad tonight.

Manchester City 2 PSG 4: Observations from a match that had it all at the Etihad tonight. Manchester City 2 (Erling Haaland 53′, 75′) PSG  4 (Désiré Doué 13′, Ousmane Dembélé 15′, Vitinha 32′, Maghnes Akliouche 61′) Manchester City have seen their eight-match winning run in all competitions end tonight against PSG. Enzo Maresca’s side went down to a 4-2 defeat to the UEFA Champions League holders. To borrow a tired cliché, it was a match of two halves. PSG’s quality was there to see in the first half as Luis Enrique’s side dominated the opening 45 minutes to take a commanding 3-0 lead. However, Enzo Maresca’s side fought back in the second half to make a real game of it. Manchester City would fall to a 4-2 defeat but with a bit more luck in front of goal it could have been a different story. When the starting lineups were announced , Enzo Maresca had made three changes to the starting eleven from Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool. Abdukodir Khusanov, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku all started tonight’s match. Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes and Iliman Ndiaye all dropped to the bench. Phil Foden was named as a substitute. Foden hasn’t played since being sent off against Manchester United in City’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford in the middle of September. First half. Pep Guardiola was in the stands and the match kicked off with a cracking atmosphere at the Etihad for tonight’s match, setting the tone for what lies ahead. The first five minutes passed by without incident. Both teams were feeling each other out to begin the game. PSG were eager to press Manchester City high up the pitch, which is a key component of Luis Enrique’s team’s play. Warren Zaïre-Emery had the first notable shot of the match in the 8th minute. PSG won possession high up the pitch as Antoine Semenyo played a sloppy pass in midfield which PSG seized upon. They worked the ball across the City penalty area and the ball was played to Zaïre-Emery 20 yards out from goal. The young midfielder got a powerful low shot on goal which Donnarumma saved with ease to his right. Manchester City almost took the lead two minutes later. An Enzo Fernandez was floated into the PSG six-yard box and PSG keeper Matvey Safonov somehow punched the ball onto his own crossbar. The rebound fell to Antoine Semenyo who fired a volley from close range well over the crossbar. Desire Doué fires PSG into the lead after a superb team move. PSG took the lead in the 13th minute. Manchester City pressed the European champions high up the pitch but PSG played their way out of Manchester City’s press extremely well. Once PSG were through Manchester City’s press, they had acres of space to play in through midfield. The ball was played to Désiré Doué on the left, who had acres of space to unleash a low shot on goal from 20 yards out. Doué’s low drive beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to give PSG a 1-0 lead. The goal was absolutely superb as the quality of Luis Enrique’s side was on full display. Ousmane Dembélé doubles PSG’s lead two minutes later. It would get even better for PSG two minutes later. The European champions were getting at Enzo Maresca’s side and putting them under real pressure. Ousmane Dembélé picked up the ball on the right and floated a ball to the back post for Désiré Doué. Doué was given too much time by Abdukodir Khusanov and he floated a ball to the back post from the left-hand side of City’s penalty area. Doué’s cross picked out Dembélé who headed past Gianluigi Donnarumma with ease to make it 2-0 to PSG. It was another superb goal by PSG which further emphasized how good the European champions are. As the half-hour mark approached, PSG’s quick fire double and overall quality was impossible to ignore. The European and Ligue One champions were by far and away the better team and their overall quality was impossible to ignore. Erling Haaland had headed Manchester City’s best chance high and wide in the 24th minute but it seemed more likely that PSG would grab a third goal rather than Manchester City finding a route back into the match. Vitinha saw a shot from range saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 29th minute as PSG continued to press. Achraf Hakimi would put a header onto the post in the 31st minute. The ball was played into the City area from the left and Hakimi got a header on goal which hit the post and stayed out. Manchester City’s defence was at sea and it was only a matter of time before PSG scored a third. Vitinha does make it 3-0 to PSG as Manchester City’s resistance seemed to be broke. PSG took a 3-0 lead in the 32nd minute. Gianluigi Donnarumma won a long ball up the pitch in midfield. Maghnes Akliouche got the ball on the right and played it to Vitinha. The PSG midfielder beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a superb finish from inside the City area and it did seem like game over after 32 minutes. Achraf Hakimi should have made it 4-0 for PSG in the 38th minute. Enzo Fernandez gave away possession in a dangerous area of the pitch and PSG were away again. The ball was played to Hakimi who fired a shot from a great position straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma. Josko Gvardiol headed wide from an Enzo Fernandez corner in the 41st minute. Enzo Fernandez played a quality corner to the back post from the left and Gvardiol got a header away. However, he and Marc Guehi got in each other’s way and Gvardiol couldn’t get the contact he’d have liked on the ball and it floated wide. Jeremy Doku fired a low shot from the left on the stroke of halftime. Manchester City won possession in midfield and Elliot Anderson set Doku away on the left with a quality ball from midfield. Doku drove into the PSG area and got a low drive on target. However, PSG keeper Matvey Safonov saved with ease to close out the first half. Thoughts and observations from Manchester City’s first half performance. Manchester City were blown away by PSG in the first half. City’s defence and midfield were picked apart by Luis Enrique’s side. Rather than pick holes in Manchester City’s display, full credit has to go to PSG for their first-half performance. Their pressing, play in possession and overall quality was breathtaking to watch. That was one of the finest performances from a visiting team to the Etihad in quite some time. Luis Enrique’s side are a joy to watch. They are technically brilliant and brutal when openings are presented and you just have to tip your cap to their brilliance after the opening 45 minutes. Second half. Manchester City would need to complete a remarkable turnaround in the second half if they were to salvage anything from tonight’s match. Enzo Maresca’s side had the quality to pull off the impossible. Whether or not they could remained to be seen. Enzo Maresca rang the changes at halftime. He brought on Matheus Nunes, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Iliman Ndiaye at halftime in a bid to get his team back into the match. Ruben Dias, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku all came off at the interval. Manchester City began the second half brightly and did create several good opportunities. Enzo Fernandez headed the best chance of the lot wide in the 49th minute. Antoine Semenyo played in a quality cross from the right with his left foot which found Enzo Fernandez at the back post. However, Fernandez headed the chance wide from six yards out at the back post. Enzo Maresca’s side had begun the second half brightly as they attempted to get back into the game. Erling Haaland gives Manchester City a lifeline as he becomes Manchester City’s leading Champions League scorer. Manchester City would pull a goal back in the 53rd minute. Enzo Maresca’s side were pushing PSG back and were rewarded. Iliman Ndaiye received the ball on the left and he played in a quality cross that found the head of Erling Haaland. Haaland got a powerful flicked header on target that PSG keeper Matvey Safonov got a hand on but he couldn’t prevent it hitting the back of the net. Iliman Ndaiye had provided his team with a spark that was impossible to ignore. Also, Erling Haaland became Manchester City’s top-scorer in the Champions League with his goal. It was Haaland’s 37th Champions League goal for Manchester City which passed Sergio Aguero’s previous mark of 36 goals in the competition for City. As the clock ticked over the hour-mark, Manchester City were pushing hard at PSG. Enzo Maresca’s substitutions had given his team life. Iliman Ndaiye was causing PSG problems on the left wing. Also, Enzo Fernandez was playing in an advanced attacking role in midfield. However, the biggest shift was the move of Ayyoub Bouaddi to partner Elliot Anderson in midfield. All of a sudden, City had a solid midfield base from which to work. Maghnes Akliouche seemingly ends Manchester City’s fightback. Just as Manchester City were getting back into the game, PSG would make it 4-1. Ousmane Dembélé played the ball to Maghnes Akliouche on the edge of the City area. Akliouche got a powerful left foot shot on target from the edge of the area that Donnarumma initially appeared to save. However the ball looped up and drifted into the back of the net despite the best efforts of Donnarumma to make another save. Just as City seemed to be back in the game, their hope seemed to be extinguished. Josko Gvardiol almost made it 4-2 in the 70th minute. Enzo Fernandez played in a dangerous free kick from the right that Josko Gvardiol flicked from the near post to the far post. Just as it appeared that it would hit the back of the net, PSG left-back Nuno Mendes cleared the ball off the line with a fine defensive header. A minute later Enzo Fernandez would smash a shot from a great position on the right into the post. Manchester City were continuing to fight but with no luck in front of goal. Erling Haaland hits the crossbar then pulls a goal back as City continuously fight. First of all, Erling Haaland would hit the crossbar with a fine header in the 74th minute. Josko Gvardiol played in a great cross from the left that Haaland got a great header back across PSG keeper Matvey Safonov which hit the top of the crossbar and went behind for a goal kick. However, a minute later Haaland would make it 4-2. A well worked City move saw Enzo Fernandez, Antoine Semenyo and Ayyoub Bouaddi combine before Bouaddi played a ball across the PSG area from the right. Bouaddi’s cross found Haaland who beat Matvey Safonov with a composed right-footed finish to make it 4-2. Haaland is denied a hat trick as Enzo Maresca’s side continued to push on. Somehow, Erling Haaland didn’t complete his hat trick in the 83rd minute. Another well worked Manchester City move sqw Matheus Nunes found in acres of space on the right. Nunes played a great low cross from the right across the PSG area. Haaland slid in at the back post and got a shot on target. However, Haaland’s shot was too close to Matvey Safonov who saved with ease. PSG were awarded a penalty in the 87th minute. Nuno Mendes was brought down by Matheus Nunes after being played in behind a stretched City defence. A lengthy VAR check ensued and a penalty was awarded. It did seem harsh on Nunes as Mendes received minimal contact but a penalty was given. Former Manchester City striker Ferran Torres stepped up to take the penalty. However, his penalty was poor and Donnarumma saved with ease down to his left. Nico O’Reilly replaced Enzo Fernandez in the 90th minute and there would be four minutes of stoppage time to close out the match. Manchester City had done all they could to get back into the game but luck was against them throughout the second half. The closing stages of the match played out without any major incidents. A breathless match would end in a 4-2 win for PSG. However, there was plenty of positives for Enzo Maresca’s side to take out of their second half display. The level that Manchester City have to reach was there to see throughout the night. First thoughts from Manchester City’s 4-2 defeat to PSG. Well, where do you start with that. PSG were mesmerising in the opening 45 minutes and they showed why they have won back-to-back Champions League titles. Luis Enrique’s side is a force in all aspects of the game as their first half display illustrated. However, Manchester City fought back hard in the second half. Enzo Maresca’s decision to bring on Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye, and Matheus Nunes changed the complexion of the match. As did the move to push Enzo Fernandez into an advanced attacking role. City went at PSG and on another night the match could have ended 4-4 with a better finishing by City. But it wasn’t to be and City fell to a defeat. But it wasn’t all negative for Enzo Maresca’s side as they went down swinging and would’ve learned some valuable lessons tonight.