Reaction and analysis
Pep Guardiola speaks: “It was a good game,” he tells BT Sport. “We had a sense of danger when they had the ball there in the final place - terrible but we did again a good performance.
“To the people coming thank you so much for coming out and supporting us it was a lovely night for us.”
On his team’s comeback: “We tried, yeah it was good, all of them fought a lot because they have a lot of quality defensively with short passes and everything.
“We had a good game but the most important thing was of course today we did it again and against a top side and that’s the reason why we are in - for the last five or six years in a row - the last 16, first of the group in this tough group.”
Match report: Manchester City 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Champions League: Our chief football correspondent David Hytner was at the Emirates to see Manchester City come from behind to win a thrilling encounter and guarantee themselves top spot in Group A.
More from Marquinhos: “City are a team that control the game and use the full width of the pitch,” he tells Canal+. “We tried to defend well and have the ball as much as possible despite their high press. They’re a very compact team. We had a couple of chances we didn’t take and we could have defended better for their goals.”
Bernardo Silva: “You’re never safe,” he says upon being asked about the threat of PSG’s counter-attack. “Even when you think you’re controilling the game, if you give a little bit of space to Neymar, Messi, Mbappe, Di Maria ... it’s always going to be tough. They are always going to create chances even if you control the possession. They are always going to create one or two chances. It’s football, it’s how it is and we’re happy with the win.
Bernardo Silva: “We’re very happy with the win and very happy because we qualified first in the group,” the Manchester City man tells BT Sport. “We’re very happy as well because our fans deserved a good performance and a good win. It’s just one game buit we’re through to the last 16”
Gabriel Jesus: “That’s Bernardo,” he says of the assist that led to his goal. “I know his quality so that’s why I waited and finished good. If I can score and come in and help my team, that’s what I want to do every time I go on the pitch. I just want to help, try to help and it was a great ball from Bernardo so I had to score.”
Marquinhos speaks: “The most important thing is to qualify,” PSG’s captain tells French TV station Canal+. “Sometimes you finish top and you play a really strong club. Sometimes you finish second and you end up with a better draw.”
A quick recap: Manchester City were completely dominant in the first half but were unable to trouble the scoreboard operator despite rattling the woodwork and having two efforts cleared off the line.
Caught by a Kylian Mbappe sucker-punch early in the second half, they briefly lost their composure but recovered sufficiently to secure victory thanks to two well-worked moves finished by Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus.
Group A: RB Leipzig’s 5-0 thrashing of Club Brugge means both Manchester City and PSG will advance to the knockout stages. With a four point lead over their French rivals and just one game left to play, City will go through as group winners. Leipzig and Brugge are on four points apiece with the Europa League qualification place still very much up for grabs.
Full time: Manchester City 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! A cracking game of football comes to an end with Manchester City coming from behind to get the win their dominance deserved. Stay tuned for post-match reaction and a report from the Etihad Stadium.
90+3 min: Ederson is quick off his line to collect a floated ball over the top. That’s it ...
90+2 min: Unable to get a shot off, Gabriel Jesus tries to float a pass towards Mahrez on the right side of the PSG penalty area. It takes a deflection and doesn’t reach his target.
90+1 min: Neymar overhits a pass towards Angel Di Maria, which the Argentinian is unable to keep in play. Goal kick for City, which Ederson is no big rush to take.
89 min: Pep is going berserk on the touchline, gesticulating furiously at his players as the game goes into three minutes of added time.
88 min: A rare few minutes of sustained faff in the middle third of the field comes to an abrupt end when Presnel Kimpembe concedes a free-kick. That will suit Manchester City just fine.
84 min: A precision pass from the right foot of Cancelo standing out wide on the left wing arrives at the feet of Gabriel Jesus but he’s crowded off the ball before he can turn and shoot.
82 min: Your selfless reporter’s half-time mug of tea has gone stone cold and practically untouched as he attempts to bring you all the action from a frenetic, breathless and massively entertaining second half. It’s been a terrific game of football.
80 min: Joao Cancelo is booked for a foul on Leo Messi. He slid in to contest a 50-50 ball, won it cleanly but caught Messi on the follow-through. There wasn’t a huge amount, if anything he could to avoid the collision, truth be told.
79 min: Another beauty from City. Gundogan cantered down the inside right and played the ball backwards to Riyad Mahrez. He curled a cross to Silva at the far post, whereupon the Portuguese pulled it back to Gabriel Jesus on the corner of the six-yard box. With no little nonchalence, the Brazilian sent a low diagonal effort rolling into the far corner.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 PSG (Jesus 77)
Gabriel Jesus fires City into the lead!!!
Updated
74 min: Oh my! Neymar comes from deep, plays a one-two with Di Maria and slaloms past two City defenders upon picking up the return pass. With the hard work done and the goal apparently at his mercy, he shoots low, hard and ... wide of the upright. That’s an awful miss.
72 min: After another period under the City cosh, PSG have found their groove again and enjoy another spell of sustained possession.
70 min: Latching on to a weighted through ball to the edge of the six-yard box, Gabriel Jesus shoots on the turn bringing a smart save out of Navas with an effort from a tight angle. Offside, but not by much.
66 min: Cancelo curls a cross into the PSG penalty area, where Kimpembe clears again. Moments later, Manchester City win a corner. Before it can be taken, PSG replace Idrissa Gueye and Nuno Mendes with Angel Di Maria and Eric Ebimbe. Nothing comes of the set-piece.
64 min: Rodri floats a ball to the far post, spotting Kyle Walker’s run. The full-back leaps to volley the ball across the face of goal, it takes a touch off Gabriel Jesus and breaks to Sterling, who scuffs into the bottom corner from close range. The finish was easy enough but the vision from Rodri and athleticism from Walker in the build-up were nothing short of sublime.
Updated
Man City 1-1 PSG (Sterling 63)
City equalise and it’s a beauty.
61 min: Herrera is replaced by Danilo and City go close to equalising from the corner. Riyad Mahrez forces Keylor Navas to save with a drive from a tight angle at the near post.
60 min: PSG’s players get the collective hump as Manchester City refuse to put the ball out of play when Ander Herrera goes to ground with what looks like a pulled hamstring. Kimbembe puts the ball out for a corner as PSG’s players rage.
58 min: Excellent defending from Ruben Dias, who stands firm to block as Lionel Messi tries to create half a yard for a shot from the edge of the City penalty area. PSG had countered with three on three and City looked in all sorts of bother.
57 min: Manchester City are visibly rattled at having gone behind despite all their dominance, while PSG are now playing with far more confidence.
56 min: Rodri is booked for a foul on Leandro Parades, taking one for the team as he put a stop to another PSG counter-attack at source.
55 min: Having barely had a touch of the ball in the first half, it was Leo Messi who played a crucial role in the build-up to PSG’s goal. Showing quick feet as he danced into the Manchester City penalty area he played a no-look pass wide to Mbappe, which may have taken a little deflection en route to the Frenchman’s feet.
54 min: Manchester City substitution: Oleksandr Zinchenko off, Gabriel Jesus on.
51 min: PSG embroider an intricate, mesmerising, pretty passing pattern of their own with Nuno Mendes, Messi and Neymar all involved. They create an overload at the far post, where the unmarked Mbappe collects the ball, takes a touch and fires a low shot through the legs of Ederson.
Updated
Manchester City 0-1 PSG (Mbappe 50)
Ah stop. PSG take the lead, having been on the back foot for the entire game.
47 min: Rodri plays a little dink in behind and Gundogan tries unsuccessfully to lift the ball over Navas from a tight angle. He doesn’t have much room in which to manoeuvre and is flagged for offside anyway.
46 min: Cancelo plays the ball long down the inside left for Sterling to chase. Marquinhos, who cut quite an irate figure at times during the first half, occasionally admonsihing his team-mates, clears up.
Second half: Manchester City 0-0 PSG
46 min: City resume play with no changes in personnel on either side ... yet.
Elsewhere in Group A: RB Leipzig are 4-0 up against Club Brugge at the break in Belgium. The way things stand, both Manchester City and PSG will be advancing to the last 16 tonight.
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That first half: PSG have cleared two off the line, blocked another goal-bound shot from Oleksandr Zinchenko and seen Gundogan thump a shot off the woodwork. They’re hanging on by a thread but squandered one decent chance of their own when Kylian Mbappe fired over.
Half-time: Manchester City 0-0 PSG
Peep! Manchester City have had PSG under the cosh for almost the entirety of the first half but their mesmeric, intricate passing play has yet to yield dividends. Ilkay Gundogan had the pick of the chances, smashing the ball off the upright when he looked a good thing to score. PSG are predictably dangerous on the break but have offered very little.
43 min: Mbappe is played in behind by Neymar after John Stones gets caught on the ball on the halfway line. The PSG striker shoots high over the bar from a tightish angle.
41 min: Rodri forces Kylian Mbappe out of play down by the byline as PSG enjoy a rare sortie into Manchester City territory. Goal-kick.
39 min: Leo Messi, who has barely had a touch so far, goes to ground after being “fouled” by Joao Cancelo out by the right touchline. I think Leo was chancing his arm, there.
Updated
38 min: Manchester City win a corner, an attempted cross from the left going out of play off Marquinhos. From the set-piece, the ball is arrowed towards John Stones, who is penalised for grappling Idrissa Gueye to the ground.
36 min: Herrera sticks out a leg to intercept a pass towards Bernardo Silva in the PSG penalty area from Mahrez on the right wing.
35 min: Relentless pressure from City, who force another save from Navas as they pile on the hurt. Gundogan is denied again, this time when Kimpembe throws himself in front of his shot towards goal.
34 min: Ilkay Gundogan pounces on a poor clearance and smashes the ball against the right post when he looked a certainty to score. That’s a huge let-off for PSG.
Updated
33 min: Ander Herrera almost turns a Riyad Mahrez cross from the byline into his own net from the edge of the six-yard box. Keylor Navas saves.
Elsewhere in Group A: RB Leipzig are 3-0 up against Club Brugge in Belgium. As things stand, both City and PSG will be qualifying for the knockout stages tonight.
29 min: Zinchecko is teed up by Gundogan and tries his luck. His goal-bound shot is blocked by Marquinhos.
27 min: PSG left-back Nuno Mendes accelerates away from Kyle Walker, cuts inside and unleashes a low drive from outside the City penalty area. Ederson gets down to save.
27 min: Raheem Sterling runs into a stout wall of resistance in the form of Idrissa Gueye as he tries to canter upfield with the ball.
25 min: PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas is forced to boot the ball long under pressure after miscontroling a backpass. He gets away with it.
24 min: Achraf Hakimi gallops upfield with the ball at his feet after PSG play their way through the City press. He tries to play the ball towards Messi near the edge of the City penalty area but Riyad Mahrez is on hand to intercept and clear.
22 min: Mbappe goes to ground holding his knee after being bodychecked by Rodri as he threatened to sprint off upfield on the break. Rodri escapes a booking.
20 min: From the right flank, Riyad Mahrez curls a cross into the PSG penalty area, spotting a run through the centre from Ilkay Gundogan. His intentions were good but his delivery was a little too high.
19 min: From that corner, City win another which is sent deep towards Cancelo. He has to backpedal to pick up possession allowing PSG’s defence a chance to reset as their hosts probe for an opening.
19 min: Achraf Hakimi gets his head to a goal-bound curled effort from Riyad Mahrez, diverting it over the bar for a corner.
18 min: Neymar picks up a pass on the edge of the City penalty area and unleashes a scuffed effort that doesn’t trouble Ederson in the slightest. Offside.
16 min: Ruben Dias fouls Neymar, giving PSG a free-kick just inside the City half. The ball’s played long and wide to Achraf Hakimi on the touchline and he passes it backwards towards Ander Herrera.
15 min: Another counter-attack from PSG but this time Kylian Mbappe has a pass towards Messi intercepted by Cancelo, who has been outstanding for Manchester City in these opening stages.
13 min: Cancelo tries to pick out Bernardo Silva with a dink into the PSG penalty area but Kimpembe intercepts with his head.
12 min: Idrissa Gueye spreads the ball wide to Lionel Messi on the right flank, but he’s robbed of possession by Joao Cancelo who gallops upfield.
Updated
10 min: PSG, who have been relying on counter-attacks but keep giving the ball away, finally enjoy a sustained spell of possession as they try to get a foothold in the game.
8 min: Almost total dominance from Manchester City so far. Oleksandr Zinchenko gallops through the centre, dithers slightly on the ball a few yards outside the PSG penalty area and allows Leandro Parades to dispossess him.
5 min: Riyad Mahrez wins a free-kick for City wide on the right. He sends the ball towards the far post, where Rodri leaps highest to head the ball across the face of goal. Presnel Kimpembe clears with a header over the bar. Was Rodri’s header goal-bound? It’s difficult to tell but Raheem Sterling was unmarked at the far post and Kimpembe was taking no chances.
Updated
3 min: Bernardo Silva appears to be playing as a False 9 for City tonight but we can probably expect no end of fluidity from their front three.
2 min: City are dominating these very early stages, with PSG struggling to get a touch of the ball. A Riyad Mahrez pass towards Ilkay Gundogan rolls out of play for a PSG goal-kick.
Manchester City v PSG is go!
1 min: The ball is rolling at the Etihad, with City hoping to avenge their weird defeat in the corresponding fixture in Paris. They dominated PSG in that one but somehow managed to lose 2-0.
Not long now: The pre-match light show and DJ set (no, really) has reached its conclusion, the crowd are singing along to Hey Jude and the players of both teams are marching out on to the pitch. Kick-off is just a few minutes away.
Pep Guardiola speaks: In an interview with BT Sport, the Manchester City manager explains the absence of Jack Grealish and Phil Foden from his matchday squad.
“Jack was injured with the national team and Phil had a problem in the last game against Everton,” he says. “Yesterday he trained and he didn’t feel good.” So now you know.
Elsewhere in the competition: Edin Dzeko scored two goals in six minutes as Inter saw off Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in Group D. They’re top of the group but may still need a point to guarantee their progress to the knockout stages depending on the result between Real Madrid and Sheriff tonight.
Meanwhile in Turkey, Ajax made it five wins from five to continue their serene progress through Group C with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Besiktas. They’ll progress as group winners.
Liverpool v Porto: Ruthlessly efficient Liverpool are already through to the last 16 with two games to spare, but you can follow their progress at Anfield with John Brewin.
Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain line-ups
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Joao Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodri, Zinchenko, Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Sterling.
Subs: Ake, Gabriel Jesus, Steffen, Laporte, Fernandinho, Carson, Palmer, McAtee.
Paris Saint-Germain: Navas, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Paredes, Ander Herrera, Gueye, Messi, Mbappe, Neymar.
Subs: Sergio Ramos, Verratti, Icardi, Di Maria, Danilo Pereira, Dagba, Wijnaldum, Diallo, Kehrer, Ebimbe, Donnarumma, Franchi.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Montecchio)
Team news: Phil Foden is missing from the Manchester City squad with Riyad Mahrez in instead as Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the side that hammered Everton on Sunday. Ruben Dias and Oleksandr Zinchenko also come in, with Aymeric Laporte and Cole Palmer making way. For PSG, Kylian Mbappe is fit to start but Marco Verratti is on the bench.
I’m guessing Jack Grealish won’t be playing tonight: The City midfielder has a couple of pairs of tickets going spare if you’re in Manchester tonight and at a loose end.
City fans… I have 4 tickets that I bought for the game tonight that I no longer need.. Does anyone in Manchester that couldn’t get a ticket want 2 tickets? I will give out 2 sets of 2??
— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) November 24, 2021
The Guardian is funded by readers like you. We are entirely independent – there is no billionaire owner or proprietor who can censor what we write about. We are also free from a paywall, and everything we publish is open and available for all, regardless of means or status. But we rely on contributions from readers like you to power our journalism. If you’d like to support our work, from as little as £1, you can do so here.
Football Weekly
Sound the Orange Ball Klaxon! Last night’s Champions League games were reviewed in today’s episode of the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, while Gareth Southgate’s new contract, the arrest of two Norwegian journalists in Qatar and some MLS play-off drama came under the microscope. If you’re not already a subscriber you can listen here and sign up on all the usual pod platforms.
How things stand in Group A
Manchester City will win Group A if they beat PSG tonight. They will qualify for the knockout stages if they avoid defeat, or if Club Brugge fail to beat RB Leipzig.
PSG will qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Manchester City, or if they draw and Club Brugge fail to beat RB Leipzig. PSG will also advance if they lose, as long as Club Brugge are beaten too.
Defeat for Club Brugge will end their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages, while a draw wouldn’t be enough to keep them on course either unless PSG lose to Manchester City. They can guarantee themselves the consolation of third place in the group and a berth in the Europa League knockout stages if they draw with RB Leipzig and PSG avoid defeat at the hands of City.
RB Leipzig can’t qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League but will remain on course for a Europa League spot if they beat Club Brugge.
Updated
Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Daniele Orsato
- Assistant referees: Alessandro Giallatini and Fabiano Preti
- Fourth official: Luca Pairetto Video
- Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello
Early PSG team news
Despite recent talk that his contract with PSG might be terminated following his ongoing struggle with a calf injury, Sergio Ramos is likely to be on the bench for the French side following his summer move after 16 years with Real Madrid. His fellow central defenders Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe have travelled to Manchester after missing PSG’s weekend win over Nantes.
Rafinha and Julian Draxler are definitely out, but goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is expected to have recovered from the tummy unpleasantness that ruled him out of the Nantes game. Midfielder Marco Verratti has travelled but is a doubt after picking up some manner of knock during training yesterday.
Early Manchester City team news
Ferran Torres remains sidelined with a broken foot, while Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is still in self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 during the international break. There was talk that Jack Grealish could be in line for a recall after missing his side’s win over Everton on Sunday with an unspecified “niggle” but the summer signing was a conspicuous absentee from City’s training session yesterday.
Group A: Man City v Paris Saint-Germain
The Etihad Stadium is the venue for tonight’s game between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, a contest which could finish with both teams booking their passage through to the knockout stages.
It will hardly have excaped your attention that PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the vacant Manchester United manager’s job and the Argentinian has not exactly gone out of his way to distance himself from the aforementioned chatter. Tonight, however, his focus will be on securing the win that would guarantee his side’s progress to the last 16 with a game to spare.
Kick-off in Manchester is at 8pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
