Lionel Messi scored his first PSG goal as the Ligue 1 leaders beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Parc des Princes, avenging last year’s semi-final defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Parisians took the lead in the 8th minute, former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye rifling into the top corner from Kylian Mbappe’s pullback, the Senegal international sparing Neymar’s blushes after the Brazilian had initially spurned the chance.
Thereafter, Mauricio Pochettino’s men were happy to sit back as City began to dominate the game.
Indeed, the Premier League champions should have equalised midway through the first half, Bernardo Silva somehow only managing to strike the bar from three yards out when the goal was at his mercy.
That chance came after Raheem Sterling had also hit the woodwork with a header from Kevin De Bruyne’s sumptuous outside of the foot delivery, City hitting the crossbar twice in a matter of seconds.
They continued to press the issue for the remainder of the first half, forcing a number of saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias going closest with a header from De Bruyne’s corner.
The second half started as the first had ended, Sterling and De Bruyne both getting in behind the PSG defence but unable to beat Donnarumma, Sterling sliding his effort wide before De Bruyne was denied by the Italian’s leg.
PSG then provided a sucker punch on the counter thanks to their Argentinian magician.
Uncharacteristically quiet for much of the game, the 34-year-old found space on the right wing before driving at the heart of the City defence. Showing a classic burst of pace that has been a feature of his career, Messi then played a one-two with Mbappe on the edge of the box before beautifully curling past the rooted Ederson into the top right-hand corner.
His first goal for PSG since his shock departure from Barcelona in the summer, the stadium erupted for their new talisman, Messi putting his relatively slow start in the French capital behind him with that one moment of class.
What will have impressed Pochettino even more than the goal, though, was his team’s overall performance.
Compact and resolute, there was none of the flashy individualism (bar one Neymar rainbow flick) that has often been the downfall of PSG on the biggest stage.
Instead, every player on the pitch was committed to the task at hand, evidenced by Mbappe tracking back into his own penalty area to head behind for a corner, Neymar nicking the ball off Riyad Mahrez as the Algerian was about to shoot when 12-yards out from goal, and Messi lying down behind the wall at a City free-kick.
They were also a threat on the break, evidenced by both goals and by further chances, Neymar hitting the side netting and former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera seeing an effort tipped over by Ederson.
As such, it was both a statement performance and win for the French side. Undone by going toe-to-toe with City last season, it was the sort of showing that will increase their chances of finally lifting their first ever European cup.
Guardiola will also have been happy with his team’s performance, if not the result.
On top for much of the game, they should and would have scored had it not been for Donnarumma in goal, and were only undone by two excellent counter attacks. Now third in the group, behind tonight’s opponents and Belgian side Club Bruges, City will no doubt also be in the running at the sharp end of the competition.
