PSG 4-2 Man City (January 22, 2025) Game Analysis

On By Littum

Paris Saint-Germain clawed back from two goals down to beat Manchester City 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving the English club outside the playoff places and in danger of relegation.

Goals from PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos turned the game on its head after City had taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

Substitute Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland struck in the 50th and 53rd minutes to give City a 2-0 lead, but fans who braved the torrential rain at the Parc de Princes were treated to a brilliant comeback.

Dembélé latched on to a cross from Barcola to sweep home a goal in the 56th minute. Barcola equalized four minutes later when he slotted home the rebound Désiré Doué‘s blistering shot came back off the crossbar.

PSG parked themselves in City’s half and took the lead in the 78th minute as the visitors’ back line struggled to cope. Vitinha‘s free kick that left Neves to head in at the back post and Ramos added the fourth in stoppage time.

João Neves put PSG ahead in Paris.

PSG climb to 22nd in the table while City, who lifted the Champions League trophy in 2023 but have won just two of their seven group games, fell to 25th, one place below the playoff qualification places.

City’s loss sets up a nerve-racking final as they host the Belgian side Club Brugge on January 29. The top eight teams automatically qualify for the round of 16, while sides finishing ninth to 24th compete in two-legged knockout play-offs to secure their place in the round of 16.

PSG were the better side for most of the game and briefly celebrated a goal with Achraf Hakimi seconds before half time, which was ruled offside.

City looked to continue their revival weeks of poor results as Grealish got the rebound off Bernardo Silva‘s shot and Haaland doubled the lead when Grealish’s cross took a deflection to fall to the Norwegian, who hammered home from close range.

But PSG then beat the English champions, who had squandered a three-goal lead against Feyenoord to draw 3-3 in November, and they travel to VfB Stuttgart for their last game in the league phase.