Paris Saint-Germain laid out their credentials to win a third straight UEFA Champions League title by dismantling Manchester City 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium. PSG went in at the break 3-0 up after a blistering first-half performance, with goals from Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha producing a three-goal lead during a brutal 19-minute spell. Pep Guardiola returned to the Etihad for the first time, but City's former boss was stunned along with the home crowd.
Enzo Maresca made three changes at halftime, and City improved after the break. Erling Haaland scored twice to become City's leading Champions League goal scorer and the youngest player to reach 60 Champions League goals, breaking Lionel Messi's record by a day. Maghnes Akliouche's goal for PSG put the brakes on a comeback, and it would have been worse for City had Ferran Torres not seen a late penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The result raises the question of whether Luis Enrique now rivals Guardiola as the best coach of his generation. Both men have won three Champions League titles and led Barcelona to a treble, but Luis Enrique has guided PSG to back-to-back European crowns, something Guardiola never achieved. A third straight title would move Luis Enrique ahead of his former rival.
For City, the defeat was a chastening lesson. Despite a perfect Premier League start, the club has struggled in Europe since lifting the trophy in 2023, and PSG now stand as the standard on the continent. The loss may be a brutal wake-up call, but with the season only in October, there is still time to improve.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing