Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 Manchester City
The ‘new money’ clash with all eyes on the prize both clubs crave most of all – the Champions League.
Qatar v Abu Dhabi, the two richest clubs in the footballing world battling it out on the grandest of stages.
Surely Champions League 2021 highlights were guaranteed?
The answer was an emphatic yes in what was definitively a game of two halves.
Ultimately, though, there can only be one winner and, while this tie is merely at the halfway stage, Manchester City are returning from Paris with two away goals and one foot in next month’s Champions League Final.
Highlights of the game
The main team news boded well for the hosts.
Kylian Mbappe had limped out of their Ligue 1 win over Metz on Saturday night but here he was, with Neymar, leading the line for Paris St Germain.
For City, Raheem Sterling was named on the bench as coach Pep Guardiola went with a front three of Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.
For the opening 45 minutes, that lack of an out-and-out striker looked telling.
Guardiola had admitted his side would suffer and they did. In fact, they would have trailed by more than a solitary goal at the break were it not for the immaculate Ruben Dias whose presence at the heart of the City rearguard was vital.
Even he could not prevent Neymar from striking the crossbar before a pinpoint corner from Angel di Maria found Marquinhos who headed across goal and in.
PSG, bidding to go one further than last season’s heartbreak – although they gained a modicum of revenge for that by knocking out the holders on away goals in the quarter-finals earlier this month – were deservedly in front.
They remained the better side for the remainder of the half too, even though Keylor Navas had to push away a Silva volley and a Phil Foden strike before the break.
Into the second period and the SBOTOP Champions League 2021 betting odds were turned on their head as City produced an improved showing and capitalised on some wretched defending twice in seven minutes.
First, Kevin de Bruyne delivered a curling cross which evaded both John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan, zipping off the turf before nestling in the back of the net.
Then, Riyad Mahrez hit a free-kick which evaded a weak wall and dipped in front of Navas before also ending up in the net.
Yes, the defending for both goals was shocking but City didn’t care and PSG’s frustration was evident when former Everton man Idrissa Gueye’s late lunge on Gundogan brought a deserved red card which will rule him out of next week’s second leg (and even the final should PSG turn this around).
That was almost beyond the Parisians had it not been for Navas keeping out Foden late on.
As it turns out, there is still much to play for at Eastland next week, but it’s now firmly in City’s hands.
Key statistics
City are unbeaten in 20 away fixtures since a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in November.
They have won their past 18 away games in all competitions, surpassing the previous record for an English top-flight team of 11 they set themselves between May and November 2017.
Guardiola’s team have also won 12 of their past 17 away European matches, both defeats coming in England.
For a second consecutive season, Marquinhos has scored in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the competition for PSG. The Brazilian has scored five goals in his last 12 Champions League appearances.
He is the first defender to score three Champions League goals in one season since Nico Tagliafico for Ajax in 2018-19.
De Bruyne is the fourth Belgian to score in a Champions League semi-final after Philippe Leonard (1998, Monaco), Radja Nainggolan (2018, Roma) and Divock Origi (2019, Liverpool).
He is the third Belgian player to reach double figures in Champions League goals, after Dries Mertens (16) and Romelu Lukaku (13).
The only previous time PSG had lost a Champions League home match after taking the lead was against Deportivo La Coruna in November 2000.
Pochettino and Guardiola have faced each other 19 times as managers, with the current PSG boss winning only three times, compared with 11 Guardiola victories.
What’s next?
Ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg, both teams have important league encounters.
It’s particularly important for PSG – second in Ligue 1 – who host fifth-placed Lens on Saturday afternoon.
City, who have the Premier League title within their grasp, are at strugglers Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
