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PSG 4-2 Manchester City: On the brink of Champions League elimination

Manchester City head to the final day of the UEFA Champions League group stage needing a win just to reach the first knockout round (forget about a bye and the last 16) after throwing away a 2-0 lead and losing 4-2 to PSG on Wednesday.

MORE — Who can qualify for Champions League last 16?

It was perhaps the most unexpected 24th-vs-26th matchup that the Champions League will ever see with either side moving to the brink of elimination if they were to lose. A draw wouldn’t have done either side much good either, and for much of the night that’s where the game appeared headed.

Neither side could break through despite a handful of scoring chances in the first half, but the game sprang to life after halftime. Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland made it 2-0 by the 53rd minute, but Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola had things level again within seven minutes. 15 more minutes with things all square, but PSG growing into the game and looking desperate to go for the winner. It came via Joao Neves in the 78th minute and Goncalo Ramos put the cherry on top in stoppage time, as Pep Guardiola’s side was helpless to stop wave after wave of PSG pressure.

MORE - Champions League schedule | UCL live table

Alas, Manchester City (25th - 8 points) still control their own destiny when the league phase wraps up next Wednesday (all 18 games kick off at 3 pm ET), when they host Club Brugge, one of the six sides they can still leapfrog and sneak into the top-24. A draw would see City eliminated from European competition for the season, as UCL sides no longer parachute into the Europa League knockouts. PSG (22nd - 10 points) will advance if they draw or win on the final day, and can still advance with a loss to Stuttgart.

Player ratings - PSG vs Manchester City

What’s next?

  • Man City vs Chelsea — Saturday, 12:30 pm ET
  • Man City vs Club Brugge — Wednesday, 3 pm ET (next UCL fixture)
  • Stuttgart vs PSG — Wednesday, 3 pm ET

PSG vs Manchester City live updates - by Andy Edwards

PSG vs Manchester City final score: 4-2

Goalscorers: Jack Grealish (50'), Erling Haaland (53'), Ousmane Dembele (56'), Bradley Barcola (60'), Joao Neves (78'), Goncalo Ramos (90'+2)

GOAL! PSG 4-2 Man City: Ramos seals the deal in stoppage time (90'+2)

GOAL! PSG 3-2 Man City: Neves’ header completes the comeback (78')

GOAL! PSG 2-2 Man City: Barcola coolly puts the rebound back where it belongs (60')

GOAL! PSG 1-2 Man City: Barcola, Dembele combine on lightning-quick counter (56')

GOAL! PSG 0-2 Man City: Haaland in the right place at the right time (53')

GOAL! PSG 0-1 Man City: Grealish scores first UCL or PL goal in 13 months (50')

OFFSIDE! VAR rules out Achraf Hakimi’s goal by the skin of a knee (45')

Offside decisions are automated in the Champions League, so we presume them to be 100 percent accurate down to the smallest of margins, and hopefully they are because this one changed the game in a big way.

PSG starting lineup

Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes - Vitinha, Neves, Ruiz - Lee, Barcola, Doue

Manchester City starting lineup

Ederson - Nunes, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol - Kovacic, Silva, De Bruyne - Foden, Savinho, Haaland


How to watch PSG vs Manchester City live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 3pm ET Wednesday (January 22)

Venue: Parc des Princes — Paris

TV/Streaming: Paramount+

Former Barcelona teammates Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique will forget their friendship for at least a few hours as they both need success in Europe this season. Enrique because that is why PSG hired him. Guardiola because City’s hopes of winning the Premier League are basically gone.

PSG sit on seven points and are out of the Champions League playoff places heading into the final two games. Luis Enrique’s side are top of Ligue 1 (they fought back to win at Lens on Saturday) but have really struggled in Europe this season with three defeats from their first six games. But those defeats did come against Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. Enrique’s side head to Stuttgart in their final League Phase game and like Man City those two teams are right next to each other in the table too.

Manchester City have picked up in the Premier League with three wins and two draws from their last five games, as they come into this game off the back of smashing Ipswich Town 6-0 on Sunday. Pep Guardiola is hoping that more positive results combined with the new additions of promising defenders Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in the January window will keep City moving upwards. But they sit on eight points and they really need a win against PSG ahead of hosting Club Brugge in their final League Phase game next week if they’re going to get anywhere near finishing in the top eight.

PSG team news, focus

In midfield is where PSG will hope to dictate the tempo of this game as Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha are key to how they play. Experienced duo Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi are crucial for PSG too and link up well down the right, while winger Bradley Barcola is really coming into his own this season. PSG are very solid defensively and will look to spring Dembele and Co. on the counter.

Manchester City team news, focus

City have Erling Haaland in form, plus Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden both getting back to their best, as they’re now back to looking fluid and dangerous in attack. Defensively there are still issues but Ederson has reestablished himself as the starting goalkeeper and the trio of Akanji, Dias and Gvardiol should start at center back. All of a sudden City are looking much more like City again.

OUT: Rodri (torn ACL - MORE), Nathan Ake (muscular), Oscar Bobb (lower leg) | QUESTIONABLE: John Stones (foot)

PSG vs Manchester City prediction

This is a pivotal game for both and it will probably start tense and Man City will have a lot of the ball. Expect an entertaining draw as things open in the second half. PSG 2-2 Manchester City.