# Manchester City v PSG: Brilliant PSG before City’s response

> Dominant in the first half at the Etihad in the Champions League, PSG then faced a Manchester City fightback. The Parisians were pegged back by a header from the Norwegian striker after the break.

- Source : https://www.psg-news.com/en/article/manchester-city-v-psg-brilliant-psg-before-citys-response
- Published on : 2026-10-14T20:34:22+00:00
- Modified : 2026-10-16T21:33:53+00:00
- Lang : en
- Publisher : PSG News (https://www.psg-news.com/)
- Tags : psg, manchester city, champions league, hakimi, safonov, haaland
- Other languages : fr: https://www.psg-news.com/article/manchester-city-psg-un-paris-brillant-avant-la-reaction-de-city
- Photo : Like tears in rain, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_Saint-Germain_-_Manchester_City_FC,_22_January_2025_(119).jpg

## Key takeaways

- In the first half, PSG dominated at the Etihad, with 20 Minutes calling it a Parisian masterclass.
- A cross from Akliouche was deflected by Warren and redirected into the net by a Portuguese player, though the scorer’s identity isn’t specified.
- At half-time, Enzo Maresca made three substitutions: Bouaddi, Matheus Nunes and Ndiaye came on for Cherki, Doku and Ruben Dias.
- Ndiaye delivered a pinpoint cross onto Haaland’s head for a goal, Semenyo hit the bar soon after, and City pressed with several chances as PSG faced a second-half response from the hosts.

## A one-sided first half

[PSG](/en/tag/psg)’s trip to [Manchester City](/en/tag/manchester%20city) in the [Champions League](/en/tag/champions%20league) initially looked like a Parisian masterclass. According to the live commentary from *20 Minutes*, the capital club dominated the opening 45 minutes. The outlet describes a true “lesson” handed to the Citizens.

PSG’s high press paid off. After winning the ball in the opposition half, Achraf [Hakimi](/en/tag/hakimi) found Akliouche on the flank. His cross was slightly deflected by Warren into the path of the Portuguese player, who curled his shot from the edge of the box into the net. The sources consulted do not specify the identity of this Portuguese goalscorer.

Hakimi was especially lively down his flank, repeatedly surging forward and unsettling the Manchester defence. He tried his luck from distance himself, but his shot, too tame, didn’t trouble the goalkeeper. On the English side, the Belgian did cut in from the left, but with no more success: his attempt was gathered by Matvey [Safonov](/en/tag/safonov).

## City change everything at half-time

The script changed after the interval. Enzo Maresca altered his tactical setup and made three changes at once: Bouaddi, Matheus Nunes and Ndiaye came on for Cherki, Doku and Ruben Dias.

These tweaks troubled the Parisians, who struggled to adjust. City pressed from the off: an Argentine player, unmarked at the far post, missed the target from a cross. Later, [Haaland](/en/tag/haaland) chose to lay the ball off instead of shooting, but Semenyo fired straight at the goalkeeper.

Safonov then produced a decisive save, but moments later Ndiaye delivered a pinpoint cross onto the Norwegian’s head, beating the Paris keeper. Semenyo even hit the bar soon after, before being flagged offside. *20 Minutes* felt at that point that PSG had to regain control of the ball.

## A score to be confirmed

The available snippets from the live blog do not explicitly mention the score at the moment the deficit was reduced, nor the final result. They also do not allow us to establish with certainty the exact order of all the second-half incidents. What is clear is that the match showed two faces: a first half controlled by Paris, then a clear response from the Mancunians after Maresca’s changes.

## Your questions, our answers

**How did PSG start the match against Manchester City according to the report?**

PSG’s trip to Manchester City in the Champions League initially looked like a Parisian masterclass and dominated the opening 45 minutes.

**What changes did City make at halftime?**

Enzo Maresca altered his tactical setup and made three changes at once: Bouaddi, Matheus Nunes and Ndiaye came on for Cherki, Doku and Ruben Dias.

**What happened after Ndiaye’s cross?**

Ndiaye delivered a pinpoint cross onto the Norwegian’s head, beating the Paris keeper; Semenyo hit the bar soon after and was then flagged offside.


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