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The footballing world has been eagerly awaiting the battle of the big spenders ever since Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final, and the first leg of the tie certainly didn’t disappoint.
The French champions produced some scintillating football against their Premier League opposition at the Parc des Princes to take a 1-0 lead, but it all came tumbling down in the second half as a dominant City display saw them come from behind to earn a 2-1 win.
After a frantic opening to the game, PSG hit the front with just 15 minutes on the clock as Marquinhos – the man for the big occasion – notched for the second knockout round running with a glancing header from Angel Di Maria’s corner.
Marquinhos loves scoring in the Champions League knockouts.
Big game player. ? pic.twitter.com/zsnobwCWEH
— 90min (@90min_Football) April 28, 2021
?? Marquinhos = big game player!
2⃣0⃣1⃣4⃣? Leverkusen, last 16 ⚽️
2⃣0⃣2⃣0⃣? Atalanta, quarter-finals ⚽️
2⃣0⃣2⃣0⃣? Leipzig, semi-finals ⚽️
2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣? Bayern, quarter-finals ⚽️
2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣? Man. City, semi-finals ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/lXOejcPrcj— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2021
Only three men have scored in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League in consecutive seasons:
?? Cristiano Ronaldo
?? Antoine Griezmann
?? MarquinhosBig-game player ? #UCL pic.twitter.com/MPbPdAjZhj
— Goal (@goal) April 28, 2021
While the run from the Brazilian to notch the opening goal of the game was certainly impressive, the defending from City’s Ilkay Gundogan offered, erm, a fair bit to be desired.
Why would you put Gundogan on Marquinhos during a corner??? He didn’t even try to track his run…
— Puffy AmiYumi Stan (@DrShafbonculous) April 28, 2021
We have managed to minimize risk from the whole lot of them, no team in the world would be able to completely stop them you guys need to calm loool. We have done great, only conceded a corner which came from Gündoğan’s fault.
— ? (@1705B_) April 28, 2021
State of the defending from Gundogan for the goal ? shocking
— DAN!EL ?? (@DanielStLeger) April 28, 2021
City managed to muster a couple of attacks as the first half wore on, though the majority of the visitors’ first 45 minutes was spent trying to shackle the mesmeric talent that is Neymar.
The Brazilian maestro was clearly brimming with confidence as he put on a show for the watching world – and it’s fair to say they enjoyed it.
RT!!!!! Is there a more enjoyable player to watch in the world than Neymar ? Not for me… https://t.co/5MmU2maZ7H
— James Maddison (@Madders10) April 28, 2021
Players like Neymar don’t come around very often. Everything comes remarkably easy for them. It’s as if they play their own game with their own ball. Their technical proficiency and speed of thought is off the charts.
Appreciate him while he lasts.
— AllThingsSeleção ™ (@SelecaoTalk) April 28, 2021
Me finally backtracking on Neymar in the group chat pic.twitter.com/BR1o7ATptq
— Gavan Casey (@GavanCasey) April 28, 2021
Neymar’s first half by numbers vs. Man City:
100% shot accuracy
6 passes into the opp box
4 touches in the opp box
4 passes into the final ⅓
2 ball recoveries
2 fouls won
2 shots
1 chance createdAn absolute joy to watch. #UCL pic.twitter.com/EEGPEUV5SV
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 28, 2021
If you’d asked Pep Guardiola at half-time whether he’d have been willing to accept a 1-0 defeat, he’d probably have taken it such was PSG’s dominance throughout the first half, though he’d have been a foolish man to have done so.
The visitors emerged for the second period looking far more composed and showed much more authority on the ball, and as they began to take control of the game, the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s influence began to wane.
Firstly, City levelled the scoring with a slight bit of luck thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s cross finding its way past Keylor Navas.
? Kevin De Bruyne has now scored 10 goals in the Champions League, 7 in the knockout phase ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/6SSf3l0RgH
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2021
69. Decoy run from the main man for that goal! ??
? 1-1 ? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/yzE0iL2EJ0
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 28, 2021
Not content with levelling the scoring, City smelt blood and it didn’t take long for them to edge in front via Riyad Mahrez’s free kick. Let’s not mention that wall though, ey?
Yes, Riyad Mahrez! ?
He asked to take it. He was allowed to take it. He scored it.
Through the PSG wall too! ? pic.twitter.com/xVwuBOzD9x
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 28, 2021
The Draught Excluder gets a great (and exclusive) view of conceding goal from a free kick…
— Max Rushden ? (@maxrushden) April 28, 2021
PSG’s wall for that Mahrez free-kick: pic.twitter.com/JCAaSxyVvC
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) April 28, 2021
First poor goalkeeping, then a wretched wall, #PSG poor defensively, but huge credit to #mcfc, terrific second half. Great mindset, hunger, organisation from Guardiola’s men to fight their way back into the tie, now leading 2-1. #PSGMCI
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 28, 2021
How did that get through the wall, but @Mahrez22 won’t care. Sensational performance this from @ManCity.
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) April 28, 2021
Any thought the home side had of regrouping and trying to restore parity soon vanished as former Everton man Idrissa Gueye produced a horrible challenge as he scraped his studs down the back of Gundogan’s calf.
77′ @IGanaGueye is shown a red card.#PSGMCI | #UCL
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 28, 2021
2 – Idrissa Gueye is the first player to be sent off twice in a single UEFA Champions League campaign since Alvaro Arbeloa for Real Madrid in 2012-13. Reckless. #UCL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 28, 2021
Who else has seen this filth? #PSGMCI pic.twitter.com/SqTycwKdXn
— David Brent Music (@DavidBrentMovie) April 28, 2021
City saw out the 2-1 win and will take a lead back to Manchester ahead of the second leg next week.
The result came about from a combination of City’s brilliance and PSG’s ineptitude, and the Twitter world didn’t hold back in assessing both sides….
Can’t quite remember seeing a team melt in front of my eyes like this
— Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) April 28, 2021
This has been superb from City second half. Total command. Up there with some of Guardiola’s best spells of play in Europe.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) April 28, 2021
Every PSG player when they go behind in a perfectly salvageable situation #UCL pic.twitter.com/ZVIcAHxykS
— Krishan Davis (@krishan_davis) April 28, 2021
PSG in the first half vs PSG in the second half pic.twitter.com/YmK7cK7zy2
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) April 28, 2021