MANCHESTER CITY have one foot in the Champions League final after staging a brilliant fightback to stun PSG in Paris.
Trailing 1-0 at the break after Marquinhos’ bullet header, Pep Guardiola’s men came out in inspired form to turn the tie on its head.
- Final score: PSG 1-2 Man City
- Goalscorers: Marquinhos 15′; De Bruyne 64′, Mahrez 71′.
- Red cards: Gueye 77′
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THAT’s ALL FOR TONIGHT
That’s all from me and the coverage of this Champions League first leg semi-final tie between PSG and Man City.
What a game of football it was and Man City have one foot in Istanbul! Can they go all the way and win it? Who knows.
Plenty of footy still to come this week starting with some Europa League semi-final action.
Man Utd are in action against Serie A outfit Roma, and Arsenal take on former boss Unai Emery who now manages Villarreal.
And then onto the weekend, there’s some Premier League action.
Goodnight!
PEP’s ASSESSMENT
Pep Guardiola told BT Sport: “Of course, we start really well after we concede the goal after we felt the pressure.
“Sometimes every player has to do more touches, every player do just one touch to put the ball out, but that’s normal.
“For a lot of people it’s our first time in the semi-finals and they want to do it well.
“The last 10 minutes of the first half was good, the second half excellent in every department.
“We scored two goals away which is so important. A hard job to do in six days.”
CITY SLICKERS
PEP GUARDIOLA, his wealthy employers and of course, City’s fans, have waited a long time for this.
But surely, they are on their way to the Champions League final.
Any tournament which ends in Istanbul needs a famous recovery and City did exactly that last night as they pulled PSG’s pants down with two goals in the space of seven minutes.
This was stunning stuff from City. It was their 18th successive away win and by some distance, the finest of them all.
So impressive in the first half and leading with a goal from Marquinhos, PSG simply lost the plot and also their cool.
Read More: PSG 1 Man City 2 Match Report
DE BRUYNE’s THOUGHTS
Goal-scorer and Man City captain De Bruyne told BT Sport: “It was a game of two halves.
“We started well in the first ten minutes and had some control but they are an unbelievable team with great quality upfront.
“It was a shame the way we conceded. After 25 minutes we changed our press and it became better, and the second half was much, much better.
“The way the first goal goes in was a bit lucky but we played football and yeah, we did well there.
“The first half we were too rushed, and that’s not the way we are set up as a team.
“In the second half, we tried to find the spaces more patiently. The progression we made as a team was good.
“There is still a game to go, and we have to concentrate on that.
“We know there are moments when we will suffer, we know how good they are, but we know we have the quality to play good in the second game.”
SECOND HALF CITY STORM
De Bruyne equalised for Man City, catching Navas out at the far post who was expecting Stones to get a touch on the ball.
Vital away goal.
And then Mahrez stepped up and sent a free-kick through a small hole in the wall and into the bottom corner.
Navas caught out for both goals, but can’t be blamed for either.
FULL-TIME STATS
Man City dominated the second half to give themselves a massive advantage heading into the second leg.
FT: PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
Man City started the second half on the front foot and pinned last year’s finalists, PSG, inside their own half.
And City found themselves level with a slice of luck.
A Man City corner was worked across the edge of PSG’s penalty area to De Bruyne
The Belgian shifted the ball onto his right foot and delivered what looked like a cross toward the far post, catching out Navas to draw City level.
PSG looked a different team to the team that played so well in the first half.
And Parades conceded a sloppy free-kick in the 71st minute.
De Bruyne shaped up to shoot, but left it to Mahrez who bent the free-kick through the wall and into the bottom-left corner.
PSG lost all composure, and minutes later, Gueye was sent off for a reckless challenge on Gundogan.
Still all to play for in the second leg next Tuesday, but Man City have a massive, massive, two away goal advantage.
Credit: GETTY IMAGES Credit: GETTY IMAGES PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!
THE REFEREE BLOWS THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE!!!
GREAT WIN FOR MAN CITY!!!
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
90+4. The ball breaks to De Bruyne on the edge of PSG’s penalty area and the Man City captain shapes up to shoot on his left foot.
De Bruyne sends a first-time shot towards goal, but his effort takes a slight deflection off Herrera and goes behind for a City corner.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
90+2. Man City are closing on in a big, big victory.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
90. The fourth official holds his board up and there will be four additional minutes to be played.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
89. Danilo holds the ball up close to the byline and tries to win a corner-kick off Silva.
But the last touch comes off the Parisian and it’s a goal-kick.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
87. CHANCE!
Foden turns and gets the beating of Danilo before driving into PSG’s penalty area.
The England international gets a shot off with the outside of his boot but Navas saves!
Brilliant play….. deserved a goal.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
85. YELLOW CARD!
De Bruyne catches Danilo late and he’s booked after some pressure from PSG’s players.
Neymar runs from afar to put his two pence in, as always.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
82. SUBSTITUTION!
Parades is off for Herrera. The Spaniard is familiar with the opposition from his time with Man Utd.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
81. Rodri shows some good footwork to break into PSG’s penalty area and hold off his marker.
He does everything right, he gets to the byline and flashes a cross across the face of goal but no-one’s there to tap home a third.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
79. SUBSTITUTION!
Di Maria is pulled off for Danilo, a defensive-minded player.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
78. Gundogan is back up to his feet, but it’s unclear whether he’ll continue at the moment.
In the meantime, PSG are preparing a substitution.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
76. RED CARD!
It goes from bad to worse for PSG as Gueye is shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Gundogan!
The German is down receiving treatment – he looks like he’s in some serious pain.
Horrendous challenge.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
73. YELLOW CARD!
Neymar follows through the back of Dias and he’s booked as a result.
PSG 1-2 MAN CITY
71. De Bruyne shapes up to shoot but leaves it to Mahrez.
And the left-footer curls the ball through the wall (somehow) and into the bottom left corner!
Man City are in dreamland! What a second half of football!
Whatever Guardiola said at half-time has worked, clearly! Two HUGE away goals heading into next week’s second leg at the Etihad!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAHREZ SCORES FOR MAN CITY!!!!!!!!!!!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
