PARIS — In an impressive display, Paris Saint-Germain showcased their Champions League capabilities without star player Kylian Mbappé, orchestrating a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit to secure a 4-2 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday.
This win importantly lifted PSG out of the elimination zone in the revamped tournament format, placing City at risk of elimination with one match still remaining. PSG only requires a draw in their upcoming fixture against Stuttgart to ensure their progression.
Coach Luis Enrique expressed his pride in the team’s performance, stating, “I feel pride this evening, against such a team, against such a manager, against such good players. It was a complete performance today.”
The team’s newly structured attack finally gelled, with contributions from multiple players highlighting a more collaborative approach rather than relying predominantly on a single star.
22-year-old winger Bradley Barcola was instrumental, scoring one goal and assisting another for Ousmane Dembélé, who is also part of the French national setup. 20-year-old midfielder Joao Neves added a headed goal for the third, while striker Gonçalo Ramos put the game out of reach with a fourth marker during stoppage time.
Enrique noted, “The more competition we have, the happier I am. That means that no player can think of their position as untouchable.”
This shift marks a significant change from earlier seasons when PSG boasted star-studded lineups featuring Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Mbappé but consistently fell short on major stages.
Despite the triumph, PSG faced challenges in scoring since Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid, managing only six goals in their prior six fixtures before hosting City, including being shut out against formidable opponents like Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
In the buildup to the match against City, Enrique asserted that improvement in their offensive line would depend on teamwork, as opposed to seeking a player to fill the void left by Mbappé, who netted 44 goals in the previous season, helping the team reach the Champions League semifinals.
City manager Pep Guardiola admitted his squad fell short in the encounter, revealing, “We have to accept it. In transitions we could not cope with them, they were faster. I give credit to PSG. When one team is better, I have no problem accepting it.”
Mbappé’s transfer necessitated Enrique to adapt his strategies throughout the season. For this match, 19-year-old winger Désiré Doué filled in as a makeshift striker, despite center forward Ramos being available. This clash saw both clubs from affluent state sponsorships — the United Arab Emirates for City and Qatar for PSG — facing the threat of early elimination.
Leading 2-0 shortly after halftime, City was stunned as PSG equalized by the hour mark thanks to Barcola’s inspirational run down the left flank. He skillfully avoided Savinho and supplied Dembélé near the penalty, and shortly after, Barcola equalized with a shot that struck the left post after Doué’s effort hit the crossbar.
Neves scored the third goal by nodding in a free kick delivered from the right side in the 78th minute, and Dembélé nearly added more to the scoreline with a shot that hit the crossbar 20 minutes before the end, while two additional PSG goals were disallowed due to offside.
After the final whistle, the PSG players rushed to celebrate with their supporters, and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi raised his fist in triumph. Enrique remarked, “This match will strengthen my players; they’re young and haven’t had too much experience in games like this. This team won’t ever give up, even when they’re two goals down.”
So perhaps the departure of Mbappé will not impact the team as significantly as once feared. Al-Khelaifi noted, “We’re a young team but a team with character. A lot of players doubted our team, but I always had confidence in them.”
He further lauded Enrique’s influence, stating, “I think we have the best coach in the world. We are playing with character, identity, DNA.”
