A penny for Pep Guardiola’s thoughts. The legendary Manchester City manager was back at the Etihad Stadium for the first time since his departure at the end of last season and, well, the announcement of you-know-what.
Sporting a flat cap, Guardiola took his seat in the stands behind the City chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, and the chief executive, Ferran “Not” Soriano, and, certainly, the TV director seemed intent on scrutinising him – if the number of cutaway shots to him were any guide.
Everybody knows where Guardiola stands on the great City scandal; the numerous guilty verdicts handed down to them on the 100-plus charges they have faced for breaking the Premier League’s financial rules. He has backed his former employers to somehow disprove them. But what did he make of his old team here against the might of the defending European champions, Paris Saint-Germain?
Not much in the first half would have been a reasonable conclusion. PSG played football from a higher plane and they might have led by more than the three unanswered goals they scored. But if defiance has been the theme for City – and it fed into Guardiola’s presence here – they produced plenty more of it during a thrilling second half.
City refused to accept the inevitable. They threw everything at PSG. Erling Haaland ran on adrenaline as City created a flurry of openings. The No 9 was unplayable at times; he finished with two goals and a few near misses. City were a goal away from worrying PSG.
The problem for them was the one that Maghnes Akliouche scored to put PSG 4-1 in front. It meant that City’s dream of an astonishing fightback was only an illusion. What a terrible concession it was for Gianluigi Donnarumma – and not for the first time.
It was a spin and blast from Akliouche on the edge of the area and Donnarumma appeared to have palmed the ball up and away. Except that it dropped all the way back down – quite a way back down – and into the net. How did it happen? It was one of many head-scratchers; the sheer weight of chances was difficult to process. PSG even threw in a late penalty fail by Ferran Torres, who came on as a substitute; his kick was weak and too close to Donnarumma. Are you missing it all, Pep?
City must play under a cloud, certainly until their appeal against the charges is completed, and they ran into a PSG team that shimmered with menace. Luis Enrique’s starting XI featured seven players who are on the 30-strong Ballon d’Or shortlist. The manager had another three from it among his substitutes, including João Neves and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
PSG bristled with their trademark assurance on the ball; the beautifully grooved combinations. It does not matter how tight the spaces are. They back themselves to get out of them. Witness the opening goal and a scintillating piece of team play that began deep on the right-hand side of their defensive third.
In the blink of an eye, PSG were surging up the flank and then opening out the move, Fabián Ruiz playing the final pass to Désiré Doué on the left. The winger cut inside and shot low for the near corner from outside the area. It was the precision that did for Donnarumma, although the former PSG goalkeeper had to do better at his post.
When PSG landed the follow-up punch just 75 seconds later, City were reeling, the home crowd stunned. It was a goal that featured two crosses, the first from Ousmane Dembélé out to Doué on the left. He took the ball down and crossed back for Dembélé, who stole in behind Marc Guéhi. The run was too cute, the header straightforward.
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It was no exaggeration to say that PSG could have had five by the interval. City had no defence to their cut and thrust; the sheer pace of it, the positional fluidity too. Achraf Hakimi appeared to be playing almost anywhere but right-back. He popped up inside the six-yard box in the 32nd minute only to send a free header against the post, but City were swiftly disabused of the notion that the danger had passed.
PSG won the ball back and went for the jugular once again. Akliouche was involved, there was a lovely backheeled assist from Warren Zaïre-Emery and Vitinha lashed home a low drive. When Hakimi blew a one-on-one with Donnarumma on 39 minutes, it felt as though his team were toying with City.
Enzo Maresca made a triple change at the interval, introducing Matheus Nunes, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Iliman Ndiaye – and the effect was immediate. City played with devil-may-care abandon. Their toothless first half was forgotten. Enzo Fernández blew a gilt-edged headed opportunity and Ndiaye worked Matvey Safonov before Haaland pulled one back. It was a whipped ball in from Ndiaye, which Haaland sent into the far corner with a flex of the neck muscles. He was not close in, either.
Could City take the lifeline? Antoine Semenyo ran through and dinked against the crossbar. The offside flag was raised, although he looked to have been level. City needed the next goal to make it interesting. Instead, they lost the initiative after another Donnarumma lapse.
It was the prompt for a whirlwind finale. Josko Gvardiol saw a header cleared off the line by Nuno Mendes, Fernández rattled the outside of a post and Haaland looped a header against the top of the crossbar before he scored again – a low finish after good work from Bouaddi. Haaland was denied the hat-trick when he stretched to prod at Nunes’ cross at goal – it was an excellent save by Safonov – and City finished with 27 shots and 52 touches in the opposition box. Those numbers would be enough for victory on most nights. Just not this one.
