Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in the Champions League, handing the hosts a defeat on an evening already heavy with pressure. It was City’s first home game since an independent commission found the club guilty of widespread breaches of Premier League financial rules.
The European champions took control early, scoring three times in the opening 35 minutes through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha. City came back strongly after the interval, but the visitors held on to win.
PSG’s fast start overwhelms City at the Etihad
Doue opened the scoring with a shot from outside the box after a sharp counter-attack, catching Gianluigi Donnarumma out at his near post. Two minutes later, Doue and Dembele combined in a neat one-two before Dembele headed home at the far post.
Achraf Hakimi struck the woodwork before Vitinha made it 3-0 with a strike from the edge of the box. Luis Enrique’s decision to keep Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench paid off, as it allowed Doue to start on the left wing.
For Donnarumma, the night was one to forget. The Italian goalkeeper had been released by the PSG coach only months after helping the club win its first Champions League title in 2025, and he had a point to prove.
Haaland’s double and City’s late push
City manager Pep Guardiola’s successor, Maresca, made three substitutions at half-time, and the changes gave his side more energy. Antoine Semenyo and Enzo Fernandez both missed good chances to reduce the deficit before Haaland headed in from a cross by Iliman Ndiaye.
City were then hit by a cruel break when Donnarumma got a hand to Maghnes Akliouche’s effort, but the ball looped up and dropped into the net. Akliouche’s goal briefly restored PSG’s three-goal cushion before Haaland pulled one back.
Nuno Mendes produced a superb clearance off his own line, and Haaland hit the bar before sealing his second goal of the night. Donnarumma then saved a late penalty from Ferran Torres, denying the French champions a fifth goal. City’s comeback, however, was not enough.
Off-field uncertainty hangs over Manchester City
The result came just days after City beat Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday, a win that kept them top of the Premier League despite the uncertainty over their future. The club faces severe sanctions unless it can successfully appeal last month’s ruling by the independent commission, which found it guilty on more than 100 charges of financial impropriety.
Guardiola returned to the Etihad for the first time since leaving the club in May. He sat behind the club’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and chief executive, Ferran Soriano, in a visible show of support. Before kick-off, City played a lengthy video recalling the club’s proudest moments, including the period before and after the Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008.
Supporters also unfurled a large banner behind one goal reading: “I’m City till I die.” Yet the noise in the stands did not match what happened on the pitch, where City were overwhelmed by a dazzling first half from the visitors.
PSG’s display showed why they are considered favourites to win the competition for a third consecutive season. Their performance also highlighted the contrast between two state-backed clubs that have reshaped European football. City, meanwhile, face a scandal that has cast doubt on their trophy haul over the past 15 years.
