Man City vs PSG: Luis Enrique pleased but admits to some scares
PSG won 4-2 at Manchester City after leading 3-0 at the break, alternating between control and suffering. Luis Enrique highlighted an accomplished first half, a second half under pressure, and luck finally going their way.
Key takeaways
- PSG won 4-2 away at Manchester City after leading 3-0 at half-time.
- Maghnes Akliouche scored PSG's fourth goal, and Ferran Torres missed a penalty.
- Luis Enrique said PSG had an accomplished first half, faced pressure in the second half, and that luck went PSG's way.
- The coach said the only 'statement' that matters is lifting the European Cup in the spring, not a message to Europe.
Match sheet
Manchester City 2 – 4 Paris Saint-Germain
· Ligue des champions · League Phase · Etihad Stadium
- 13' Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 15' Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 32' Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 53' Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — goal
- 61' Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City) — yellow card
- 62' Maghnes Akliouche (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 69' Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) — yellow card
- 75' Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — goal
Standings Ligue des champions : 1er, 9 pts (3 j.)
Paris Saint-Germain claimed a statement Champions League win away at Manchester City (2-4) at the end of a frenetic game. Luis Enrique, who had expected an open and intense contest between two sides built around possession and pressing, praised the quality of PSG's first-half display, which ended with his side three goals to the good. In his view, his players managed to beat City's press before the break and fully deserved their lead.
Second-half pressure
The Spanish coach was more measured about what followed, however. After the restart, City took more and more risks, at times leaving very few players at the back. That approach put Paris under heavy pressure and led to mistakes, the coach acknowledged, adding that managing that kind of situation remains tricky. He even felt that with a little bad luck, the game could have turned against PSG.
On luck and balance
Luis Enrique revealed that he had discussed with his assistant Rafael Pol the idea of luck evening itself out: early in the Ligue 1 season, Paris often seemed to be punished for every shot the opposition took; at the Etihad, the coin landed on the right side. Hence his conclusion: given how the game played out, it would have been hard to call any scoreline "logical".
Weathering the storm
Despite the storm, the Parisians managed to come up for air at the right moments, with a fourth goal scored by Maghnes Akliouche and a penalty missed by Ferran Torres. Overall, Luis Enrique took away the win, secured once again in England against the Premier League leaders, as a source of motivation for what lies ahead.
Caution on Europe-wide message
That said, he was not about to see it as a message sent to the rest of Europe. The coach refuses to get carried away: the only "statement" that matters, in his eyes, is the one made by the team that lifts the European Cup at the end of the season. PSG's objective remains clear: to be at their best in the spring, when everything is decided.
Your questions, our answers
What did Luis Enrique say about PSG's first-half performance?
He praised the quality of PSG's first-half display, which ended with his side three goals to the good, and said they beat City's press before the break and fully deserved their lead.
What happened after the restart in the match?
After the restart, City took more and more risks, at times leaving very few players at the back, which put Paris under heavy pressure and led to mistakes.
What did Enrique say about PSG's objective and the 'statement' of the season?
The only "statement" that matters is the one made by the team that lifts the European Cup at the end of the season, and PSG's objective remains to be at their best in the spring, when everything is decided.