Paris Saint-Germain roar back to beat Manchester City 4-2 in Champions League
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Paris St Germain's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Vitinha, Presnel Kimpembe and Joao Neves.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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PARIS - Paris Saint-Germain clawed back from two goals down to stun Manchester City 4-2 in the Champions League on Jan 22 and leave the English club outside the playoff places and in danger of elimination.
Goals from PSG's Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos turned the match on its head after City had taken the game by the scruff of the neck.
“The team’s faith is unshakeable,” PSG manager Luis Enrique told reporters. “My team never gives up until the last second and we’ve often shown that.”
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 Parc de Princes were treated to a brilliant comeback.
Dembele latched onto a cross from Barcola to sweep home a goal in the 56th minute. Barcola levelled for the home side four minutes later when he tucked in the rebound after Desire Doue's blistering shot came back off the crossbar.
PSG parked themselves in City's half and took the lead in the 78th minute when the visitors' back line struggled to clear Vitinha's free kick, leaving Neves to head in at the back post. Ramos added their fourth with a goal in stoppage time.
PSG climbed to 22nd in the table, while City dropped to 25th, one spot below the playoff qualifying spots.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Pedro Goncalves Neves (ground) looks on after heading the ball to score his team’s third goal.
PHOTO: AFP
“We accept the defeat because the best team won and we have a last chance (to qualify) at home against Club Brugge,” Guardiola said.
City’s loss sets up a nerve-jangling finale when they host Belgian side Brugge on Jan 29. The top eight teams qualify automatically for the last 16, while sides finishing ninth to 24th compete in two-legged knockout play-offs to secure their spot in the last 16.
“It could happen. We will see,” Guardiola said on City’s chances of going out before the knockouts. “If we don’t win (against Brugge) we don’t deserve it.”
PSG were the better side for most of the Jan 22 game and briefly celebrated a goal by Achraf Hakimi seconds before half-time that was ruled out for offside.
City seemed to be continuing their revival from weeks of poor results when Grealish rifled in the rebound from Bernardo Silva’s shot. 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 blitzed the English champions, who had squandered a three-goal lead against Feyenoord to draw 3-3 in November. The French side travel to VfB Stuttgart for their final game of the league phase.
Grealish had no answer for City’s letdown.
“I don’t know, usually in these moments, we’re so good,” the midfielder told TNT. “Obviously, it’s happened too many times this season... we’ve not been able to control the game and see it out. Like I said, it’s weird, because in every other season, we’ve been so good in these moments managing the game. ” REUTERS
