Match ends, Paris Saint Germain 2, Manchester City 2.
PSGParis Saint Germain2Man CityManchester City2
Fernandinho's deflected goal earned Manchester City a draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Paris St-Germain.
Kevin de Bruyne's clinical finish gave City the lead after Joe Hart saved Zlatan Ibrahimovic's penalty for PSG.
Ibrahimovic capitalised on Fernando's error to equalise and Adrien Rabiot tapped in after the break to put French champions PSG in front.
Fernandinho's scuffed effort gave City a potentially vital second away goal.
The second leg takes place at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, 12 April.
Teams who have drawn the first leg 2-2 away from home in European competition have progressed on 220 out of 277 previous occasions - a 79.4% success rate.
Listen: 'If you can't beat them, join them. Aguero must go down.'
The money men don't live up to their billing
This fixture was touted as a battle of Europe's richest clubs, with both sides backed by wealthy Middle-Eastern owners - PSG's from Qatar and Manchester City's from the United Arab Emirates.
While the teams have spent a reported £800m between them on players in the past five years, the game, which was entertaining, lacked the quality expected from such blue-chip line-ups.
Fernando's mistake for PSG's equaliser was a prime example.
The Brazilian collected the ball from Hart on the edge of his own penalty area and, while trying to flick a pass with the outside of his foot, directed the ball off Ibrahimovic's boot and into an empty net.
It undid the superb work of Hart to save Ibrahimovic's penalty low to his right - after David Luiz was tripped by Bacary Sagna - and De Bruyne's powerful finish from a tight angle following Fernandinho's surge forward.
Former Chelsea defender Luiz will be banned for the return leg after being shown a yellow card 12 seconds into the game, as will midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
City's defensive frailties almost costly
Manuel Pellegrini's side were fortunate to be in a position to salvage a draw as the fragile defence that has contributed to their disappointing Premier League campaign continued to look unstable.
Their deficiencies without injured captain and centre-back Vincent Kompany have been well documented, and they have now managed only one clean sheet in nine Champions League games this term.
Rabiot, who had a brief spell in the City youth set-up, made the most of non-existent marking to score at the back post after Hart parried Ibrahimovic's header into his path.
Ibrahimovic had missed a clear chance when through on goal and also headed against the crossbar in the second half.
In the second leg, Pellegrini may want to re-assess the 4-4-2 formation that saw his side press PSG high up the pitch, with left-back Gael Clichy exposed by David Silva's unfamiliarity with his position on the left of midfield.
But Pellegrini remains in a strong position to secure a Champions League semi-final - and perhaps title - for City, before being replaced by Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola in the summer.
Man of the match - Thiago Silva (PSG)
What they said
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini: "A very close game right to the end. The quarter-final continues to be open but this is a good result for us.
"We made a couple of important mistakes for the first goal and the second goal was offside.
"If we want to win, we cannot make those kind of mistakes. But we are trying to win the game from the first minute - it is the way we play."
What's next?
Before the return leg, Man City host West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday, the same day PSG travel to Guingamp, having already wrapped up the Ligue 1 title with six more games remaining.
The facts you need to know
- Joe Hart is the only goalkeeper to save two penalties in the Champions League this season; he has saved each of his past three penalties in the Champions League
- Hart has saved three of the five penalties he has faced in the Champions League since making his debut (60%), the highest percentage (min five pens) since 2011-12
- David Luiz was booked after 12 seconds, the quickest yellow card n the Champions League this season and the fastest since 2003-04
- No Man City player has been involved in more goals this season in all competitions than Kevin de Bruyne (26, level with Sergio Aguero)
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored in five consecutive Champions League games for the third time in his career; he also did it in February 2012 with Milan and February 2014 with PSG
- Adrien Rabiot has scored in three of his past five Champions League games; he had not scored in his previous 12
- Fernandinho has scored and assisted a goal in the same game for City for the second time, both coming in the Champions League this season (also against Sevilla in November 2015)
- PSG have lost only one of their past 39 home games in European competition (W25 D13), against Barcelona in April 2015
Line-ups
PSG
Formation 4-3-3
- 16Trapp
- 19AurierSubstituted forVan der Wielat 78'minutes
- 2Thiago Silva
- 32David LuizBooked at 1mins
- 17Cabelino Andrade
- 25RabiotSubstituted forLucas Mouraat 78'minutes
- 8Motta
- 14MatuidiBooked at 48mins
- 11Di María
- 10Ibrahimovic
- 9Cavani
Substitutes
- 4Stambouli
- 5Marquinhos
- 7Lucas Moura
- 20Kurzawa
- 23Van der Wiel
- 29Augustin
- 30Sirigu
Man City
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Hart
- 3Sagna
- 30Otamendi
- 20MangalaBooked at 83mins
- 22ClichyBooked at 11mins
- 6RegesBooked at 35mins
- 25Fernandinho
- 15NavasBooked at 85mins
- 17De BruyneSubstituted forDelphat 77'minutes
- 21SilvaSubstituted forBonyat 88'minutes
- 10AgüeroSubstituted forKolarovat 90+3'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Zabaleta
- 11Kolarov
- 13Caballero
- 14Bony
- 18Delph
- 26Demichelis
- 72Iheanacho
- Referee:
- Milorad Mazic
- Attendance:
- 47,228
Match Stats
Home TeamPSGAway TeamMan City
- Possession
- Home67%
- Away33%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Paris Saint Germain 2, Manchester City 2.
Post update
Foul by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint Germain).
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Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Aleksandar Kolarov replaces Sergio Agüero.
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Attempt missed. Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Thiago Motta.
Post update
Gregory Van der Wiel (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Fabian Delph (Manchester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Wilfried Bony replaces David Silva.
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Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jesús Navas.
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Foul by Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain).
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Fernandinho (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Jesús Navas (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.
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Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Fernando (Manchester City).
Booking
Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).
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Offside, Manchester City. Joe Hart tries a through ball, but Sergio Agüero is caught offside.
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Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Ángel Di María tries a through ball, but Edinson Cavani is caught offside.
Comments
Join the conversation
I don't understand what the fans of either team get from watching foreign owners who pay foreign managers to manager foreign mercenaries buy their way to another trophy.
I'd rather support Dagenham and Redbridge. Get some perspective.
But why on earth are we being asked to comment on a football match now? Is nothing else happening in the world?
I was born within 8 miles of Maine Rd & have supported City through low & low!! I support the shirt, not the individual wearing it!!
As for money in football, Blame ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool etc for wanting the PL. They created the monster.
"Mercenaries?", professional footballer is a job and they get paid....er....money!
"why on earth are we being asked to comment on a football match now? Is nothing else happening in the world?"
They do it to wind you up - looks like it worked.
Please people, stop your closet racism, it doesn't matter where the players come from.
Please people, stop hating on rich people, just because clubs spend a lot of money does not make them bad.
Not sure your facts are quite right.... Maine road was about 35,000 and City used to fill that regularly in the old division two - I am not sure many other Premiership clubs would drop two leagues and have that fan base
Money has brought them some players yes but that isnt the loyal fans fault and the money just came in previous decades for other clubs
Game isn't like it used to be, nor are peoples working habits. Plenty of people from all over the world in our every day lives.
Nothing wrong with wanting to attract the very best to a top business so why should it be any different when wanting to attract the best to football? It makes it better.
(LFC Fan)
They've got a good chance - although still half a chance - to do well, especially with Madrid struggling too. Hopefully they can prove many doubters - myself included - wrong & see Pellegrini off with a bang. It's odd, but welcomed, to see an English team do well in Europe though.
That said, both teams looked good going forward. Man City can definetly progress but I fear for them if they come up against the likes of Messi, Neymar and Suarez.
First thing Pep will need to sort out is their defence. Great for City that De Bruyne is back. Still unconvinced with Navas.
A realistic cap on transfer fees and player wages would be great, but still favours clubs that already have huge resources if, say, based on a percentage of turnover.
Would argue the crazy money game in England was kicked off by Blackburn Rovers from 93/94, when they had to pay well over the odds to attract e.g. Shearer and Sutton