Read Sportstar's match highlights of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg featuring commentary and updates from the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
THAT IS ALL FOR TODAY. THANKS FOR TUNING IN. GOODNIGHT!!
MATCH REPORT| City rallies to win 2-1 at PSG in first leg of CL semifinal
What a second half by Pep Guardiola's men. Whatever he said in half-time must have worked because 'second-half City' was miles ahead of 'first-half City'. City clearly was pushing more up the field and getting the better chances. De Bruyne opened the scoring with a cross, which caught Navas out completely. Shortly after, Mahrez scored a brilliant free-kick to double City's lead.
PSG has a lot of catching up to do in Manchester. Losing the plot in the second-half, its frustration was epitomised by that rash tackle by Gana on Gundogan, for which he saw red. PSG needs to score at least two in Manchester without conceding.
The tie is definitely not over, but surely it is advantage City.
FULL-TIME!!!! (PSG 1 MAN CITY 2)
92' Great tackle by Zinchenko on Florenzi after Mbappe rolled the ball back to him. The Ukrainian has been brilliant since coming on.
90' FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON!!!
88' CHANCE!!! Foden again got clear and found himself one on one with Navas. He shoots at straight at Navas again.
86' BOOKING!!! Its City captain and goal scorer De Bruyne who goes into the book this time for catching Danilo. PSG players cry red but nothing doing.
85' SHOT!! Mahrez picks the ball up from the right and goes low towards Navas' near-post. The shot is wide.
77' RED CARD!!! GANA GUEYE with a horror tackle on Gundogan's Achilles. No doubt from the referee as he sends Gana off. PSG losing the plot.
74' BOOKING!! Neymar gets a yellow card for his late challenge on Dias.
72' GOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! ITS MAHREZ THIS TIME FROM THE FREE KICK!!! (PSG 1 Man City 2) A poorly positioned wall diverted all their attention to Kevin De Bruyne but the Belgian left it for the Algerian. A low shot to Navas' right, who saw it too late. WHAT A TURNAROUND THIS IS!!!
71' FREE-KICK' Foden tripped by Gana 25 yards away from goal. Mahrez and De Bruyne standing over it.
64' GOOAAAALLLLLLL!!!!! Its CITY SKIPPER KEVIN DE BRUYNE!!! (PSG 1 Man City 1). Kevin De Bruyne with what was surely a cross towards Stones but the ball went straight towards Navas's left and caught him out. The Costa Rican would surely rue at giving away such a cheap goal. A rare mistake from one of Champions League's best keepers over the years.
59' SWEEPING KEEPING!! Ederson lives up to his reputation as one of the best sweeping keepers in the world as he came out and cleared Di Maria's brilliant through ball to Mbappe before he could get there.
57' CHANCE!!! Kylian Mbappe at his best. An exquisite touch from Neymar set Mbappe away. The Frenchman countered down the right side of City's box and made Stones turn all over the place with some quick feet. He brilliantly chooses an opening and flashes a cross across goal but no one was there to put the decisive touch.
52' City has begun the second half like the first. Confident movement, quick passing and incisive play- what City does best.
47' FREE-KICK!! Bakka fouls Mahrez and concedes a freekick. It is a satisfactory delivery by De Bruyne but Marquinhos won the first header and headed the ball out of danger.
45' THE SECOND-HALF BEGINS!!!
It was City, which started the match in prime fashion. Crisp passing, prolonged periods of possession and penetrative play inside the oppositions half- all trademark of Guardiola's City. However, all it took was a Di Maria corner to give PSG the lead as captain Marquinhos did well to find space and score a beautiful header.
PSG started dominating the proceedings more as the half progressed. City's best chance came via Foden, who found himself in space inside PSG's box courtesy of some snappy play by City. However his powerful shot was aimed straight at Navas, who made the save.
The game is still wide open. Lets wait and watch what happens in the second half.
HALF-TIME!!!!
45' One minute added on!!
43' BEST CITY CHANCE YET!!! Some quick and crisp passing allows City players to play Foden into space inside PSG's box. His shot however, is straight at Navas who parries it away. Foden's shot had power but lacked accuracy.
41' INJURY!! Neymar down and looks in pain. Not a good sight for PSG fans' given the Brazilian's history with injuries. An awkward landing from a fair challenge by Cancelo. But he looks okay and gets up gingerly
39' CORNER!! De Bruyne with a well delivered ball towards Dias but Navas gets both of his gloves to the ball and punches it away without trouble.
34' BLOCK!! It is PSG this time. Neymar and Mbappe linking up again and set up Bakker on the left. He shoots but Stones makes the block.
32' CHANCE!!! City with an effective press with Bernardo feeding the ball to Foden. His cross finds Mahrez who heads back across goal and Paredes clears. Looked like a high boot there.
31' BOOKING!! Mbappe with a darting run inviting City players to chase him. Cancelo makes a rash challenge on the Frenchman for which he receives a yellow card. A common scene in PSG matches.
27' CORNER!! Di Maria with another well-whipped corner towards Ederson who is more decisive with his punch this time. Balls goes out for another corner. The second corner found Paredes, who beat Dias in the air but he fails to hit the target. Ederson, though, had no chance of getting there if it was on target.
23' PSG progressing into City's box more easily compared to the early stages of the game, where City was enjoying the lions share of the possession.
21' SAVE!!! Cancelo delivers a stunning ball to a sliding Bernardo Silva near Navas' far post. Did well to make contact but Navas was alert to make a solid yet comfortable save judging by his standards.
15' GOOOAALLLL!!!!! ITS CAPTAIN MARQUINHOS AGAIN!!! (PSG 1 Man City 0) So much for City's initial pressure. All it took was a corner by PSG to take the lead. Great run by Marquinhos to find space for himself from a Di Maria corner and when the ball came, he does not make any mistake.
12' GOOD SAVE by Ederson!!! PSG is finally getting into its groove now. A prolonged period of pressure, including a corner saw Neymar at the end of it with a brilliant shot as Ederson. The Brazilian keeper pokes it over the bar.
9' Great work by Paredes in the middle of the park as he puts in two clean challenges to stop the ball from progressing inside PSG's half. He is returned the favour and gets a foul in PSG's favour.
7' City definitely the more pressing side out of the two in the early stages of the game. Guardiola's men enjoying comfortable possession but PSG maintaining its defensive shape effectively until now.
5' CROSS!! Florenzi with an attempted cross after getting clear of Cancelo but his ball is too far for Neymar or Mbappe to capitalise on.
2' SHOT!! Early warning signs from PSG. Rodri was dispossessed by Di Maria who set Neymar with a through ball. The Brazilian cut outside of Stones and took a shot with his left. Ederson collects it easily.
2' Take a moment and just appreciate the collective level of talent on the pitch. Oozing from every corner.
1' KICK-OFF!!
12.30 IST- AND WE ARE UNDERWAY!!!
12.25 IST- FIVE MINUTES TO KICK-OFF!!!! Have a quick glance.
12.15 IST- Its the one trophy that has escaped Neymar during his time with PSG.
12.00 IST- A special match for Rodri
11:50 IST- Watch what the Manchester City boss had to say about Neymar ahead of the tie between PSG and City.
The lads from Manchester have reached the venue
11:30 IST- LINEUPS ARE OUT!!!!!
PSG: Navas, Florenzi, Marquinhos (C), Kimpembe, Bakker, Paredes, Gueye, Di Maria, Verratti, Neymar, Mbappe
Coach: Mauricio Pochettino
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, De Bruyne (C)
Coach: Pep Guardiola
Preview
Paris Saint-Germain meeting Manchester City at the deep end of the Champions League has long been expected given the lavish investment in the clubs by their owners from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, respectively.
It's hardly one for football's romantics, though, and it's a semifinal that is too close to call. PSG is looking to reach the final for the second straight season and has beaten Barcelona and defending champion Bayern Munich in the knockout stage that couldn't have been tougher for the French team.
READ| 'Enjoy yourselves', Guardiola tells Man City ahead of PSG test
City is into the semis for just the second time — after losing to Real Madrid at this stage in 2016 under Manuel Pellegrini — and the first time since Pep Guardiola arrived. City heads to Paris as a newly crowned trophy winner, having captured the English League Cup on Sunday for the fourth straight season, and is close to reclaiming the Premier League title.
That could even happen this weekend, with City holding a 10-point lead. Guardiola, then, might choose to rest key players between the two legs against PSG, which might not have that luxury given it is embroiled in a tight race for the French title with three other clubs.
READ| PSG's Pochettino relishing challenge against 'amazing' Guardiola
City has a virtually full-strength squad, while PSG has recovered central defender Marquinhos after an adductor injury and Kylian Mbappé is fit after a minor thigh injury.
Comments
SHARE