Man City vs PSG – Champions League: Live score, team news and updates

Paris Saint-Germain are the best team in France by the length of an autoroute but still do not look ready to win a Champions League.

That may one day be good news for Manchester United, who covet their manager Mauricio Pochettino. Last night it was good news for Manchester City, who came from behind to deservedly beat them at the Etihad.

Few teams in football have been as staggeringly front loaded as PSG. As they chased the win that would have given them first position in the group here, their gilded front four of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria were all on the field.

But when the chance to grab victory came the way of the Brazilian Neymar in the 74th minute, he missed it. Three minutes later City’s Gabriel Jesus was rather more accurate from six yards and City had the win their football, their creation of chances and their territorial superiority deserved.

This was a big win for Pep Guardiola and City. They advance to the knockout stages as winners of the group. Equally, it will serve to convince the English champions that they can win this competition after last season’s defeat in the final against Chelsea.

After dominating a first half that ended goalless, City fell a goal behind in the 50th minute when Mbappe scored at the far post. Against a dangerous team, City could have panicked, lost their heads and lost their shape. They did not. They equalised through Raheem Sterling and went on to win the game. With only a third of the season gone, they look a step ahead of a team like PSG already.

City lost the first game between these teams in Paris in September but did not deserve to. They were the better side for long periods only to be downed by Messi late on.

Messi has troubled City regularly over the years, largely for Barcelona. PSG as a team, however, carry no such historical threat. City beat them over two legs in last season’s semi-final and were comfortably superior for the large part.

A point behind City in Group A, the French league leaders came with weapons loaded in the Manchester mizzle. Sometimes such boldness seems to leave PSG less balanced elsewhere in the team but maybe Pochettino knows he has little choice. Leave one of those three on the bench and, win, lose or draw, he would still be fielding questions about it a week later.

So they were all here last night in front of a full house. The only problem for PSG in the first half was that they could not get hold of the ball. City’s midfield three of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Oleksandr Zinchenko were the dominant force and that laid a platform on which City could attempt to build.

Missing key players such as Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne through injury and illness, City nevertheless carried a threat. Their delivery from wide positions was precise and sharp and PSG’s central defensive partners Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe were required to head and kick clear on numerous occasions.

In terms of opportunities, Gundogan had the best one of a first half that was to end goalless. When a curling left-sided cross from Joao Cancelo was half cleared by Nuno Mendes in the 33rd minute, Gundogan had time to choose a spot but his side-footed shot did not carry quite enough bend back towards the corner and struck the outside of the post.

The move was typical of City’s more dangerous moments. We have grown used to City creating goals by working the ball through central areas with sharp passes and clever angles. This approach was slightly different as Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Cancelo sought to work the ball in from wide.

Early on a Rodri header was cleared from the line by Kimpembe while Sterling may have scored had he stepped towards a Mahrez cross to head rather than step back to attempt to bring the ball down.

Mahrez’s shot was goalbound after a lovely move in the 18th minute but Achraf Hakimi managed to divert the ball over bravely. Then Zinchenko moved on to another cross from his flank only for Marquinhos to block.

PSG’s threat was fleeting. Messi could not find a way into the game while Mbappe too often chose wrong options as he looked to break. The French forward did find space just before the break but could only shoot over when Neymar played him away down the left. He should really have done better.

City had no reason to be unduly concerned by that moment. It was an isolated threat. But the next time PSG broke forwards, five minutes in to the second half, they scored.

Messi was involved in his own half and then typically rejoined play with an injection of pace as he sensed opportunity in the final third. His pass to Ander Herrera on the edge of the penalty area was immediately returned to him and when his low cross was diverted to the far post by Kyle Walker, Mbappe controlled the ball and then drove it in.

It was an unexpected setback for City and their response was not immediate. For 10 minutes or so, PSG controlled the game and suddenly looked twice the team they had been with the ball earlier on.

Soon, though, City’s sense of irritation began to translate in to menace and when Rodri found Walker with an superb angled pass, the England player’s pull back was poked in on the stretch by Sterling. There had been 13 minutes between the goals.

With both teams expecting to win their final games in the group, this was a shoot out for top place that suddenly felt like one. It had simmered for an hour but the exchange of goals served to raise the temperature and it was welcome.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to seal their progression to the last-16 of the Champions League when they clash at the Etihad Stadium.

City currently top Group A ahead of the French giants and will qualify by avoiding defeat, and would even win the group if they beat Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Pochettino takes his team to Manchester amid links to him taking over at City’s rivals United, but knows his side can also seal qualification with victory.

Follow Sportsmail’s DAN RIPLEY for live Champions League coverage of Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain, including build-up, team news and updates.