UEFA Champions League, Matchday 2, 14/10/26

Paris Saint-Germain saw off a spirited Manchester City comeback to secure all three points (2-4). Luis Enrique’s side had raced into the lead before Enzo Maresca’s changes at half-time gave the Premier League side hope in the second half.

PSG are a moments team and they decided that this was one of them. With eyes on Manchester City and their current off-field issues, parallels with PSG and their own state ownership came back under the spotlight. They ensured, however, that football was centre stage on a night where that wasn’t guaranteed to be the case.

Manchester City simply couldn’t contain PSG in the first-half. Even with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratkshelia left on the bench, the reigning champions rang rings around Manchester City. Ring perhaps isn’t the word as that insinuates a shape and shape does not define this fluid PSG side. You were just as likely to find Achraf Hakimi popping up in the centre-forward position as you were in his designated right-back berth. Once again, designated position and PSG don’t necessarily rhyme.

In any case, City struggled to pick up the Moroccan, who popped up in the box to head off the post. It was a rare moment of wastefulness from the visitors in the first half. One minute later, Vitinha was more clinical, finishing first time from a Maghnes Akliouche pull back. That was PSG’s third. Prior, Désiré Doué had opened the scoring, perhaps surprising Gianluigi Donnarumma with his quickly-taken dragged effort to the near post.

The France international was then the provided for his compatriot, Ousmane Dembélé. The Ballon d’Or winner had initially played the ball to Doué before the favour was returned. It was an inviting ball into the back post that Dembélé gratefully received. Donnarumma was happy to see his former teammates in the tunnel before the match, even giving a kiss to Marquinhos before walking out. He was sick of the sight of them by the time he returned to the dressing room.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Luis Enrique, both of whom have leapt to Manchester City’s defence since their guilty verdict would have been welcome additions to Manchester City’s defence, who simply couldn’t contain PSG.

Three goals and so three changes from Manchester City at half-time. Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye, and Mattheus Nunes on; Ruben Dias, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki off. Lift off at last. Erling Haaland, so quiet in the first half was handed the armband and unleashed in behind. He found Antoine Semenyo, who couldn’t test Matvey Safonov with his deflected effort.