Home Sports PSG 4-2 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side slip into the Champions League RELEGATION ZONE after squandering another 2-0 lead

PSG 4-2 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side slip into the Champions League RELEGATION ZONE after squandering another 2-0 lead

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PSG 4-2 Man City: Pep Guardiola's side slip into the Champions League RELEGATION ZONE after squandering another 2-0 lead

The pre-match show at the Parc des Princes was quite a production. There were lights and lasers in the darkness and a huge banner was displayed behind one of the goals, at the Virage Auteuil.

The banner glowed with the image of a skull and, below it, a message. “Battu par les flots,” he said, “Paris n’a jamais sombre.”

That is to say, battered by the waves, Paris has never sunk.

And so it happened. Trailing two to nil at the start of the second half against a Manchester City team that did not deserve its lead, PSG refused to sink. Instead, it was City who disappeared under the furious torrent in a rowdy stadium, pitifully surrendering to the French champions.

If we had all started to think that City’s unexpected crisis this season was over, we might as well think again. This calamitous defeat leaves them outside the top 24 teams that will qualify for the next phase of the Champions League and fighting to stay in the competition with one game remaining.

Such a prospect was unthinkable at the start of this season, but City must now beat Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to advance. They will be favorites but they are not the City of yesteryear. Nothing is safe anymore.

Gonçalo Ramos helped secure a famous victory for Paris Saint-Germain, who came back from two goals down against Manchester City.

1737594831 580 PSG 4 2 Man City Pep Guardiolas side slip into the

The home bench erupted in celebration when the Portugal star scored deep into added time on Wednesday night.

In a daunting situation, City have dropped eight points from winning positions in the Champions League this season.

In a daunting situation, City have dropped eight points from winning positions in the Champions League this season.

Last night they were outplayed from start to finish, even if they took that two-goal lead. That was the start of a crazy period of four goals in 10 minutes and 44 seconds, one of them a first European revenge for Erling Haaland for the new nine-and-a-half-year mega contract he signed last week.

But City squandered that advantage and when Joao Neves scored PSG’s third with 12 minutes left, there was no turning back. Gonçalo Ramos finished off the match with the last shot of the match and PSG, who have been struggling desperately in the competition, slipped back into the top 24. City does not.

Under coach Luis Enrique, PSG is moving away from the galactic culture that dominated its development for so long after Qatar bought the club in 2011. Only remnants of that star system remain. The biggest change is the departure of Kylian Mbappé, who left for Real Madrid in the summer and whose presence and ability had become an overwhelming influence at the Parc des Princes.

Gianluigi Donnarumma started in goal and Achraf Hakimi was at right back, but Ousmane Dembélé was only given a place on the bench. PSG is finally trying to form a team instead of gathering individuals. But even if it has produced results in Ligue 1, where they are at the top of the table, nine points ahead of Marseille, they have suffered even more than City in the Champions League.

PSG started as a devilish team. They hounded City out of pace and passing rhythm with relentless pressure and moved the ball with confidence and precision on the slippery surface.

City struggled to keep them at bay. Rubén Dias was booked for a brutal block on Hakimi in the 10th minute when the PSG winger was running towards a pass. A minute later, Joao Neves should have scored when he ran unmarked towards a free kick, but could only head his header over the bar.

Haaland made his first significant contribution after 20 minutes when he rose to meet Phil Foden’s cross, but his header went straight to Donnarumma, who caught it out of the air.

But that opportunity couldn’t hide the fact that PSG were the much better team in the first half hour. Their midfield, consisting of Vitinha, Neves and Fabián Ruiz, controlled the match and when Ruiz fired on goal after a half-cleared corner, only a good goal-line clearance by Josko Gvardiol prevented the French champions from taking the lead.

Achraf Hakimi thought he had been the player to break the deadlock in the first half before his shot was disallowed for offside.

Achraf Hakimi thought he had been the player to break the deadlock in the first half before his shot was disallowed for offside.

Jack Grealish made an instant impact after coming off the bench in the second half and put City ahead.

Jack Grealish made an instant impact after coming off the bench in the second half and put City ahead.

Erling Haaland doubled City's lead in two minutes on a rainy night in the capital

Erling Haaland doubled City’s lead in two minutes on a rainy night in the capital

But Ousmane Dembélé was equally efficient in front of goal and hit back moments after the second goal.

But Ousmane Dembélé was equally efficient in front of goal and hit back moments after the second goal.

Young talent Bradly Barcola equalized four minutes later to delight the home fans.

Young talent Bradly Barcola equalized four minutes later to delight the home fans.

Joao Neves turned an exciting match around by scoring the third for the locals in Paris

Joao Neves turned an exciting match around by scoring the third for the locals in Paris

PSG 4-2 Man City: match data and rankings by JACK GAUGHAN

PSG (4-3-3): Donnarumma 6; Hakimi 7, Marquinhos 6, Pacho 5.5, Mendes 7; Neves 8, Vitinha 7, Ruiz 6.5 (Zaire-Emery 61, 6); Doue 6 (Ramos 61, 7), Lee 5.5 (Dembele 46, 7.5), Barcola 8.5 (Hernández 81)

Unused subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Asensio, Mayulu, Lucas Beraldo, Zague, Cinta

Reserved: mendes

Goals: Dembélé (56′), Barcola (60′), Neves (78′), Ramos (90+3′)

Manager: Luis Enrique 7

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 6; Nunes 5 (Piedras 78), Akanji 5.5, Dias 6 (Lewis 46, 5.5), Gvardiol 6.5; Kovacic 4.5 (Gundogan 70, 5.5), Silva 5; Foden 6.5, De Bruyne 6 (McAtee 70, 6), Savinho 5 (Grealish 46, 6.5); Haaland 7

Unused subs: Ortega, Carson, Wright, Alleyne, O’Reilly

Reserved: days

Goals: Grealish (50′), Haaland (53′)

Manager: Pep Guardiola 5.5

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

The city sporadically threatened. Foden led a lightning counterattack and passed the ball to Savinho, whose shot was saved by Donnarumma’s left leg, but these were only brief intervals in PSG’s dominance.

PSG thought they had taken the lead on the stroke of half-time when Hakimi slammed home a fierce shot from 12 yards, but replays showed Nuno Mendes had strayed offside in the build-up and VAR ruled out the strike.

Both coaches made changes at halftime. Dembélé came in for PSG, and for City, Jack Grealish replaced Savinho and Rico Lewis replaced Dias. A substitution paid immediate dividends.

City broke down the right, Manuel Akanji cut the ball back to Bernardo Silva and when his shot was parried, Grealish was waiting eight yards away. His technique was beautiful. He kept his head above the ball and fired a rising shot toward the net.

Three minutes later, City doubled their lead. This time, Grealish was the provider. He darted into space on the left and clipped a ball back into the box. A defender tried to intercept him but only managed to push him into Haaland’s path.

Haaland is not paid £500,000 a week for missing from three yards and as Donnarumma desperately scrambled to his left to try to snuff out the danger, Haaland slammed him into the net.

It felt like City were at home, dry and almost in the play-off places. But this is not the city we have become accustomed to over the last decade. This is a different City, a City that oozes vulnerability, a City that loses leadership.

Three minutes after Haaland’s goal, PSG returned to the game. Bradley Barcola fired past Matheus Nunes and burst down the left, crossing for Dembélé, who scored the goal for the first time.

Haaland could not add more goals to his tally after scoring his 47th in the competition

Haaland could not add more goals to his tally after scoring his 47th in the competition

The locals achieved a well-deserved victory against a mediocre and complacent Manchester City.

The locals achieved a well-deserved victory against a mediocre and complacent Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola will have a lot to contemplate as he prepares for what could be his team's final European game of the season.

Pep Guardiola will have a lot to contemplate as he prepares for what could be his team’s final European game of the season.

The atmosphere in the stadium changed completely. Suddenly everything was filled with positivity, hope and noise again. Just four minutes after the first goal, PSG tied. Desire Doue fired a beautiful shot over Ederson and against the crossbar and when the rebound fell to Barcola, he put it straight back into the goal.

Now it seemed that PSG were going to score every time they attacked. Dembélé shot at Bernardo Silva and hit the crossbar with Ederson beaten.

It was only a brief respite for City. With 11 minutes left in regulation time, Vitinha took a free kick into the box that City failed to clear. It bounced towards Neves, who had been left unmarked at the far post, and he received the ball in mid-air and headed it down to beat Ederson at his near post. All that was left was for Gonçalo Ramos to deliver the final blow.

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