PARIS, France, January 22, 2025 – Manchester City’s chances of Champions League progress are in peril after they lost a two-goal lead to slump to defeat against Paris St-Germain at Parc des Princes.
On a torrid, rain-lashed night in Paris, all the frailties that have haunted City in a season of decline were laid bare as Pep Guardiola’s side crumbled dramatically in the face of PSG’s pace and creation.
City’s defeat means they risk elimination from the Champions League as they stand 25th in the table, having to win their final game at home to Club Brugge.
It was pure theatre in Paris after Manchester City looked to have turned the game in their favour when substitute Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland struck twice in the first eight minutes of the second half.
PSG, however, had City’s defence living on its nerves all night and hit back instantly when substitute Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola levelled the game before the hour.
Dembele then struck the bar before the outstanding Joao Neves headed home Vitinha’s free-kick after being left unmarked, and City’s agony was compounded in stoppage time when, after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) check, Goncalo Ramos’ powerful strike gave the scoreline a more realistic appearance.
City barely deserved the lead that close finishes from Grealish and Haaland had given them, but PSG’s power, pace and quality saw them mount the dramatic comeback that deepened the gloom that has surrounded the Premier League champions this season.
Chilling night for Guardiola and Manchester City
Pep Guardiola stood soaked and stunned on the sidelines as he witnessed a collapse on a scale he has rarely witnessed in his managerial career, let alone from his all-conquering Manchester City side.
City, knowing defeat would leave them on the brink in the Champions League, were fortunate to survive a first-half assault from PSG that saw Joao Neves head wide of an open goal, Josko Gvardiol clear off the line from Fabio Ruiz, while Vitinha also had a goal ruled out for offside.
Ruben Dias was removed at half-time after a first 45 minutes of toil and suddenly the clouds looked to have cleared for City with those two goals.
Instead, when the old City would have finished the job, the latest version were ran ragged by a vibrant PSG, who actually did not deserve to be behind, let alone two goals adrift.
City were all at sea as PSG went through the gears, the final score of 4-2 not reflecting the fierce going over they were given as the tables were turned on them.
Guardiola’s team looked old and laboured, devoid of pace but highly vulnerable to that quality themselves on a sobering night that illustrated the scale of the rebuilding job the manager faces.
He has already started, confirming before the game that new young defensive duo Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras are both ready to be thrown into Premier League action.
On the grim evidence of a chilling night in Paris, they may get their chance sooner than they thought.
