PSG are overthrown by Manchester City but qualify and will finish in second place

Insufficient. Archi dominated by Manchester City, PSG logically conceded its first defeat of the season in the Champions League, at the Etihad Stadium (2-1). If Kylian Mbappé had maintained the hope of a favorable result by opening the scoring against the course of the game, Pep Guardiola’s men have logically turned the tide thanks to Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. PSG will still see the round of 16, since Bruges was corrected by Leipzig in the other match of Group A. On the other hand, the Parisians will not be able to return to first place at the end of the sixth day, which foreshadows a shock at the top for the rest of the competition.

As against City in the first leg and Leipzig, twice, PSG suffered. Except this time the miracle did not take place. From the start of the match, we felt the Citizens invested with a mission: to wash away the affront to conquer the first place, by the game. Before the break, it is an understatement to say that the players of Mauricio Pochettino were asphyxiated . Cut in half, because the middle was too busy defending, PSG struggled to exist and relied on its strength behind. It still took a little to see City score, especially when Presnel Kimpembe (5th) and Achraf Hakimi (18th) had to replace an otherwise impeccable Keylor Navas against Riyad Mahrez (34th).

Mbappé had nevertheless arisen

Solidarity, the PSG evolved on a wire, without existing in front because of an offensive trio which made pschitt and without real collective certainty. But the attacking talent has spoken again, giving the illusion that something can still happen on and off. On one of its rare actions, the capital club found a way to open the scoring, a Lionel Messi ball arriving, with a little success, towards a lonely Kylian Mbappé at the far post. It does not take more for an attacker who walks on water to deceive Ederson with a shot between the legs (0-1, 50 ‘).

Manchester City could never have recovered from this heist-like goal. But Pep Guardiola did not give in to panic, operating a winning coaching by bringing in Gabriel Jesus, a real 9, in place of Oleksandr Zinchenko. This change revived the citizen machine, rewarded by the equalizer of Raheem Sterling, perfect in second blade on a good rebate from Kyle Walker (1-1, 63rd). And it is finally Jesus who donned the costume of the providential man, on an action almost similar to the first goal, this time thanks to a discount from Bernardo Silva (2-1, 76th). A few seconds earlier, Neymar had missed a 2-1 ball for PSG despite a perfect one-two with Angel Di Maria (74th).

Luckily, Paris will not have a hot final to play against Bruges, the only club in Group A which could still get past it at the finish but which lost to Leipzig (0-4). A very meager consolation prize, given that Manchester City are now four lengths ahead with one day remaining. Consequence: PSG composes its ticket for the knockout stages of the Champions League by losing, but has no chance of regaining first place. It will certainly have a scarecrow status to be avoided for the first in the group, but it is not the easiest route to take for the coronation.