Manchester City’s Champions League hopes hung by a thread tonight after they succumbed to an incredible comeback from Paris Saint-Germain.
After Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland conceded goals early in the second half, the situation appeared bleak for a PSG side that started the evening outside the playoff places in the reconfigured table.
But substitute Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola provided a rousing response, both men firing on target before Joao Neves scored a late third to send the Parc des Princes into a frenzy. There was still time for Goncalo Ramos to add a fourth goal to spice up City’s wound.
The win saw PSG move up to 22nd place and it is now City who are in danger of missing out on the field. Pep Guardiola’s men are in 25th place, two points behind Stuttgart. Their final game against Club Brugge next week is now an absolute win.
PSG starts brilliantly
Perhaps PSG sensed the gravity of the situation and started well. Ederson saved Desire Doue within five minutes before Neves fired a header over the bar from close range.
Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Kevin De Bruyne at the other end but it was a rare foray forward for City, who were largely defensive and had defender Josko Gvardiol to thank for keeping the score level after 26 minutes.
The visitors failed to clear a corner and in the ensuing scuffle, Fabian Ruiz fired a shot that forced Croatia defender Gvardiol to kneel the ball away from his own goal line.
Although they largely played on the counterattack, it almost paid off for the English champions when Phil Foden put Savinho through from a tight angle, but the Brazilian’s shot was well blocked by Donnarumma.
After overcoming that scare, PSG almost took the lead a minute before half-time. Achraf Hakimi was at the end of an unforced move and clearly outpaced Ederson, but the goal was canceled after Nuno Mendes was judged to be narrowly offside in the build-up play.
Grealish makes an impression
Guardiola brought on Grealish and Rico Lewis for Ruben Dias and Savinho at half-time and the double substitution paid immediate dividends.
Manuel Akanji burst down the right and delivered a cross for Bernardo Silva, and although the Portuguese’s attempt was parried by Donnarumma, the ball fell to Grealish, who fired it high into the net.
Jack Grealish gives Man City the lead just minutes after entering the pitch 🤩
It’s his first goal in the Champions League this season 💪
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/1NXEgE6nsK
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025
The City fans had barely stopped cheering in the Parisian rain when Haaland made it 2-0 three minutes later with Grealish again involved.
After holding on to Matheus Nunes’ pass, the England winger cut in from the left and his cross was deflected by Vitinha into the path of Haaland and he made no mistake from close range.
The comeback begins
PSG’s Champions League dream quickly faded away, but they showed enormous courage to find a way back.
Dembele, who also came on as a substitute at the break, shot the ball back, latched on to Barcola’s cross and fired past Ederson. After an hour it was 2:2. Doue’s shot bounced off the crossbar and back into the path of Barcola and he volleyed over the left post into the net.
Ousmane Dembele gets one back for PSG 👀
Three goals were scored between the two teams in the last six minutes 🤯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/avKvmsKjeT
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025
PSG were in command and City looked shocked.
Barcola fired an acrobatic shot over the bar, Dembele hit it high and wide wide when he should have done better, before the former Barcelona winger smashed a shot against the bar and Ederson was beaten.
Neves finds a third
It seemed to be a matter of time before the pressure eased and PSG got the goal they deserved with 12 minutes to go when Neves headed home at the far post with no City defender nearby.
PSG COMES BACK AGAINST MAN CITY 🤯
After being 2-0 down, Joao Neves shoots home to give PSG the lead 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/t2p3ZSS6sS
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025
Another goal from the outstanding Dembele was ruled out for offside and then Ederson made a fine save as PSG aimed for the jugular.
Substitute Ramos saw Ederson’s shot parried from close range, but the Brazil international could do nothing about it as another Ramos shot was given the last shot of the game following a lengthy VAR review.
