Man City dismantled by Paris St-Germain in breathless Champions League battle

When Manchester City play like this what a loss their football will be to the Premier League – and the Champions League – if they are heavily sanctioned later this season.

In what turned out to be a match for the ages, a night of brilliant, unbridled attack we were treated to the ultimate game of two halves as the back-to-back European champions Paris St-Germain took City apart for 45 minutes. And then were left holding on.

City will hope this is a sign of what is to come in their Premier League fight. But with a different result. After suffering a resounding defeat at the hands of the Premier League's independent commission, with 114 of the 115 charges against them proven, they maintain their innocence and are mounting an appeal.

Could they make a comeback? It would be incredible and highly improbable if they did so but, out on the pitch, and 3-0 down after a first half in which they were in danger of being humiliated by PSG, they created enough opportunities to save themselves.

The data backed that. City's expected goals (xG) was 2.57 while PSG's was 1.83. City had 27 shots to 15 and had more possession and more passes. Enzo Maresca made a triple substitution to devastating effect, especially with the introduction of new signings Ayyoub Bouaddi and Iliman Ndiaye.

In the end they clawed back two goals, both scored by Erling Haaland, who now has 61 in 60 games in this competition – seventh outright in the all-time list, before Ruud van Nistelrooy. And 37 of those for City, overtaking Sergio Agüero's club record.

It could have been a hat-trick. It could even have been four as Haaland, taking the captain's armband as Rúben Dias was withdrawn during the interval, clipped the top of the crossbar with a header and then was denied by goalkeeper Matvei Safonov as the striker slid in.

"Even with 3-0 in the first half, with the amount of chances we created in the second half, we deserved more. Luis (Enrique, PSG's coach) said at the end of the game that they were quite lucky," Maresca claimed before being asked whether he would relish facing PSG again, later in this competition. "My feeling is we are there. We are close," he added.

Did City deserve a draw? No one was predicting that at half-time as they were suffering as comprehensive a defeat as was inflicted by the commission. Accused of "sham" contracts to inflate income this was a sham of a performance, made all the more emphatic because of how brilliant PSG, and their exceptional 21-year-old winger Désiré Doué, were.

There is a certain irony that it was PSG who inflicted this defeat, ending City's run of eight wins from eight in all competitions under Maresca.

It was a meeting of two clubs empowered more than any other by the riches of Gulf states: Abu Dhabi versus Qatar. Both have also had their run-ins over money. Both were sanctioned but escaped full bans by Uefa for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

The question, also, was: would the eighth meeting of these clubs in the Champions League in the last 11 seasons be the last for some time?

So we should savour it and we did. That included Pep Guardiola on his first return to the Etihad – in a sign of solidarity – after quitting at the end of last season. Not that he savoured much of what he saw as PSG dominated City to such an extent that their fans adopted the "Poznan" celebration and the home supporters were silenced.

City could have gone in front before they conceded with the erratic Safonov – who was Gianluigi Donnarumma's understudy and has become his unlikely replacement – punching a corner against his own crossbar before Antoine Semenyo shot the rebound over.

Then PSG ran all over City. They were never going to come here and not try to win. They broke far too easily and scored far too easily. Not once but twice to go 2-0 up.

For the first, PSG countered, with City struggling to cover, and Doué caught out Donnarumma with a low shot back inside his right-hand post from 22 yards.

Then PSG sliced through City's defence with Ousmane Dembélé scooping the ball across the area to Doué who returned it back. Dembélé stooped to head home.

After Achraf Hakimi headed against the inside of the post, City could not clear, the ball came back with Warren Zaïre-Emery flicking on Maghnes Akliouche's cut-back. It ran to Vitinha who slammed in a first-time shot. It was the first time City had ever conceded three goals at home in the first half of this competition.

Maybe it was too easy. Maybe City could not continue to be so dominated but it was as if a switch was flicked when the teams returned. The chances came for City. Enzo Fernández should have scored from a close-range header and Haaland did, glancing in an inswinging Ndiaye cross.

Finally the City fans found their voices but then they were silenced. What a calamity for Donnarumma as he got a hand to Akliouche's shot on the turn but only palmed the ball up in the air with it bouncing into net.

But City did not stop. Nuno Mendes headed Josko Gvardiol's flick off the line, Fernández hit the post before Bouaddi set up Haaland and he swept the ball past Safonov.

There was time for PSG to miss a penalty, with Donnarumma comfortably saving Ferran Torres's weak effort as City bravely continued to push. They lost but it did not quite feel like that.

I think our start was quite good until the first goal. Then we conceded the second after one [more] minute and that created bad feelings so we struggled.

Second half we were much, much, much better and we probably deserved even something more.

It was strange to be honest because until the first goal we were in the game. We created things, didn't concede and then the first goal led to the second one. When you concede two goals in two minutes it could [get] even worse.

At half-time we adjust something, didn't lose our balance and in the second half we created enough to deserve something more. We adjusted the way we were pressing, something on the ball [too].

We lost the balance [by conceding the second goal]. Even at zero-three we created enough in the second half and Luis said afterwards that they had been quite lucky.

[A message for the fans?] We feel sorry for the first half but I think we're quite happy now. Big game on Saturday [Ipswich at home at 3pm].

Both Arsenal and Barcelona had shorter prices than PSG to win the Champions League. Now it's only Barcelona but I would say even they are not as good as PSG.

I doubt Guardiola will speak publicly but let's wait and see.

Matheus Nunes, Bouaddi and Ndiaye were terrific. Small wonder that Luis Enrique and Maresca were exhaling hard as they embraced at the final whistle.

After a PSG performance in the first half that was as good as any I've seen in the past 10 years, Manchester City stiffened midfield in the second and went toe-to-toe to play their part in a basketball game with crosses and shots raining down on the PSG goal.

PSG have managed this last few minutes well, making important tackles and interceptions.

Pacho cuts out a pass to stop Semenyo pouncing.

City have had 27 attempts on goal, PSG 14.

PSG have dropped back in numbers and City are probing away.

Four minutes to come. O'Reilly replaces Enzo Fernandez.

Ferran Torres hit it low and not even halfway towards the right post. Terrible penalty, straightforward save.

His hand touched the sole of his boot as he slid in. Very soft.

Didn't seen that Matheus Nunes touched Nuno Mendes from the replay.

Semenyo takes Haaland's pass and his iffy control by the right of the penalty spot knocks it up. He does well to manipulate the defender out of the way but the ball won't come down quick enough and he ends up stretching for it and lashes it over the bar.

Anderson, looking for Haaland from the left with a right-foot inswinger, overcooks it and Safonov comes off his line to catch.

Haaland meets Nunes daisycutter of a cross having been sent to the byline with his outstretched left leg as he slides in at the back post and Safonov sprawls to save on the goalline again. Should have scored but then again he was right at the extent of his reach when he made the connection.

Attempts on goal now number 36 after Kvaratskhelia's tepid effort is saved by Donnarumma then Khusanov makes a last gasp tackle to stop Ferran Torres converting Joao Neves's sensational pass.

This is a game for the ages. Too much action to chronicle fairly.

Ferran Torres → Dembele Joao Neves → Akliouche

Man City 2 PSG 4 (Haaland) Having just stuck an effort on to the top of the crossbar, Haaland sweeps a right-foot shot into the bottom left corner after terrific work from Bouaddi to win the ball, play a one-two with Fernandes and tee up the hit man.

Now Anderson floods into space 20 yards out and runs on to a pass to shoot and Pacho again makes the block.

Ndiaye, who has been magic, fizzes a pass into Fernandez's feet and the Argentina midfielder absolutely lashes a right foot shot into the angle of post and bar.

Mendes heads Gvardiol's near-post flick from the free-kick off the line with Safonov stranded.

Ndiaye and Anderson combine and the latter's tenacity is rearded with a free-kick out by the left corner flag when Zaire-Emery boots him.

Haaland blazes over with his left when put through down the inside-left channel by Fernandez's fine pass. Maresca hops in frustration.

Semenyo does well to twist Pacho and Ruix but shoots into the side-netting.

Man City 1 PSG 4 (Akliouche) The winger receives the pass in the D facing the right touchline, spins and puts his laces through a left-foot piledriver. Donnarumma soars to his right, sticks up his top hand and tips it upwards but without enough power to push it over or wide and it drops behind the keeper and spins past the scrambling keeper.

No doubt that PSG have been rattled by City's ferocity in this half so far and have not been able to stop Bouaddi pulling the strings.

Bouaddi to Semenyo who sends Nunes on the underlap to the byline. The right-back fizzes over a cross and Ndiaye sticks out his right leg and just gets his toe to it but cannot hook it on target.

Fernandez drills a lofted pass from the right out to Ndiaye who burns past Hakimi down the outside and tries to but it back to Haaland but Marquinhos telescopes out a leg to knock it away. The crowd is now just electric having flat-lined in the first half.

City have turned the momentum around as they fly forward and create chances for Semenyo and then Haaland and Semenyo, the last two when the flag was poised to go up. Ndiaye is giving Hakimi a roasting.

Man City 1 PSG 3 (Haaland) Header from 12 yards, unstoppable, set up by Ndiaye with a superb cross moments after the substitute had drilled a shot straight at Safonov.

Enzo Fernandez should score with a header at the back post when he meets a cross from the right. He had run off Hakimi and was completely free but diverted it wide, helping it on its way, rather than going back across Safonov.

Semenyo runs on to Haaland's square pass and shoots with his left on the right of the box from 16 yards into a defender. Should have done better. City corner and Gvardiol, who had got away from his marker, pumps his header straight at Safonov.

Bouaddi immediately finds Ndiaye with a crossfield pass to the left and the winger drives towards the box but thrashes his rising shot over the bar.

Nunes → Dias Ndiaye → Doku Bouaddi → Cherki.

It would make sense to stiffen midfield by introducing Bouaddi and trying a different right-back though neither Rico Lewis or Matheus Nunes are defensively sound. Perhaps they should have done that at 2-0. Having said that, City have made four or five half-chances and, although they have been overwhelmed at times, the scoreline could be closer.

Anderson pings a pass out to Doku who dribbles in from the left, burns past Hakimi and then shoots low to Safonov's left.

Marquinhos blocks Semenyo's shot and then Fernandez is tackled as he tries to drive into the box.

Two minutes of stoppage time are signalled as Doku gives the ball away.

PSG corner as their fans sing their favourite Bonnie Tyler song. The ball rolled down Dias's arm but he protests weirdly that it should be a goalkick. From the corner a deflection off Guehi forces Donnarumma into a save.

Chance for City with Gvardiol by the left post but he snatches at it.

City corner after Semenyo's good run. PSG turn it behind at the near post and the second attempt, taken short, is worked to Haaland in the box but he makes a mess of his connection. Just before Hakimi, in acres hectares of free space has a dig and fires his shot straight at Donnarumma.

In the words of Barry Davies. Poor old Man City just don't know what day it is. Hakimi whacks a right-foot shot inches past the left post.

City held a lengthy post-mortem after they conceded a third goal in the first half of a European match for the first time. They can't cope with PSG's three midfielders. Cherki is not built for this.

Man City 0 PSG 3 (Vitinha) A few seconds earlier Hakimi, evading his marker, hit the post with his header after Doué and Vitinha, one outside, inside, had Khusanov chasing shadows. Then PSG win the ball back and work it into the box from the right. Zaire-Emery's backheel puts it perfectly in Vitinha's path and he rockets a shot past Donnarumma and into the backboards behind the goal with a thud.

Donnarumma dives to his right to save Vitinha's shot but can only parry it and back come PSG with such slick passing they manipulate space for their runners to glide into. It's Zaire-Emery's turn to have a shot and Guehi wears it flush in the face.

From the corner Doku has the vision to spot a gap for Anderson to burst into the box but Anderson isn't on the same wavelength and is out of the blocks too late.

Doku, who is playing well, diddles Hakimi with an explosive start from a standstill to drive past him and ping a cross to the back post. Haaland, behind Pacho, can't track the flight properly with the defender blocking his view. In the end he has a free header but saw it so late he can only head it back across goal. Safety firts from PSG who put it behind for a corner.

Haaland tries to force a shot past Pacho who is too close and makes a solid block. Moments later Semenyo, looking for Haaland at the back post, bends a left-foot cross from the right over his head and out for a goal-kick. Haaland shoots him an old-fashioned look.

The freedom Hakimi has to drive into the forward line and stay there is causing Gvardiol all kinds of problems. Out come the raucous away fans' olés.

And just like that… PSG go Bang! Bang! and the crowd falls quiet.

Man City 0 PSG 2 (Dembele) Made by more Doué brilliance. Khusanov can't handle the ghostly movement of Doué who then stands up a terrific cross to the back post and Dembele, running off Gvardiol and Guéhi, buries a header from a couple of yards. Donnarumma had no chance. Ninety-nine seconds between goals.

Man City 0 PSG 1 (Doué) The slickest of moves from their own byline on the right, Hakimi bringing it forward as Gavrdiol jumps into the press too high and cannot get close. PSG work it inside to Akliouche who passes to Ruiz. The Spain midfielder bends a pass with the outside of his left to switch it out to Doué who feigns to whip it into the top right, cocks his ankle and flays it in at the near post.

City whip the free-kick to the near post to Dias and Safonov pulls off the save after a glancing touch from the City captain.

Safonov flaps and the corner whipped under his crossbar and the ball slides off his attempted punch the wrong way and into the bar. It rebounds and drops to Semenyo who blazes over from six yards. But the ref blows his whistle for a foul on the keeper.

Cherki goes over in the PSG box when Marquinhos sticks out his leg and Cherki tumbles over the hurdle. The ref waves play on but VAR has a look and sees that Marquinhos brushed the ball with his studs. City have a free-kick for a foul on Gvardiol.

Loose pass by Semenyo goes straight to Fabian Ruiz who tries to slip Doué in down the left but Dias slides over to intercept. Zaire-Emery feeds on the scraps and shoots straight down Donnarumma's throat.

Vitinha surprises Fernández by feinting to cut inside then knocking it on the outside to Doué down the left but Khusanove forces him to turn tail.

There are a few inflatable bananas being waved around and a cry of "Guardiola" but, in truth, the noise is really coming from the PSG fans in one corner of the stadium. There is certainly no air of defiance or protest aimed at the Premier League – expect for another chant aimed at Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

Gvardiol and Khusanov are both pushing into midfield while Fernandez and Anderson drop back to fill in.

Donnarumma leaves a pass to Guehi short but Akliouche kicks him as he tries to recover and City have a free-kick that Donnarumma launches up the left. Hakimi heads it infield and Doku earns a throw-in with a challenge on Fabian Ruiz.

PSG with their usual kick-off, booting it 40 yards up one wing, this time the left and Gvardiol heads it away as the smoke begins to clear.

The pitch at the Etihad Stadium is shrouded in smoke from a firework display just before kick-off. It seems to sum up the lack of clarity around the club at present.

PSG were ready for a good couple of minutes before City turned up.

Die Meister Die Besten Les grandes équipes The champions!

A firework and light show illuminate the stadium

It must be said there are an extremely low number of inflatable bananas on show.

Former manager joins chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano in the directors' box.

Pep Guardiola, wearing a flat cap, has taken his seat in the Manchester City directors' box, directly behind chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Hugo Viana. It is of course his first game back at the club after quitting as manager in the summer. It is also a declared show of solidarity after the guilty verdict.

It's a special night against the best team in Europe, I hope it's a special game. Pep is here but was not at the training ground. I have not spoken with him.

It's a special moment for him also, he is back in his home and the fans will be happy that he is here tonight.

Quite easy decision to bring Jérémy in. The most important think for him is to stay fit that's why he are having to manage his minutes.

I said yesterday you need a complete performance, top on and off the ball to beat them. We will create some chances and concede some chances but you have to find the complete balance.

Under normal circumstances there would be a high level of anticipation around this game, even though it is the eighth time in 11 seasons that City and PSG have faced each other in the Champions League. But given the backdrop of City guilty verdict and it being the first home fixture since that announcement it is even more fascinating. There will also be, of course, Pep Guardiola back "in his house", as his successor, Enzo Maresca. put it. The atmosphere will be interesting.

If the verdicts are upheld, of course, it wasn't their penthouse and it wasn't their caviar.

A City fan on whether City's trophies have asterisks against them

We got to live in a penthouse and eat caviar for 15 years and if we have to go back to a semi in the suburbs, well, fine.

Qatar showed Man City how to build a football superpower

When Manchester City endured their first major sanction over financial fair play in 2014, the biggest club accused alongside them that summer were Paris St-Germain, another Champions League arriviste who had been raised from mediocrity to the elite by some frantic spending from a Middle East fossil fuel dynasty.

Then, 12 years ago, both sides bitterly opposed the Uefa sanctions imposed on them – although they eventually agreed to the terms. Now, they face one another in Manchester with PSG aiming for a third consecutive Champions League title, and City fighting for their lives in the face of an overwhelming guilty verdict for nine years of Premier League rule-breaking.

Both clubs are transformed from the entities that their current owners acquired. While PSG now find themselves at the centre of the new order in European football, City are once again on the outside .

Joleon Lescott on his reaction to the verdicts

Whatever the outcome of this process, I won't forget the connection and relationships I had here. It will never be erased.

Manchester City Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernández; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland. Substitutes Bettinelli, Rulli, Ndiaye, Kovacic, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Nunes, Bouaddi, O'Reilly, Allan, Foden, Lewis.

Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaïre-Emery; Doué, Dembélé, Akliouche. Substitutes Chevalier, Mouak, Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres, Digne, L. Hernández, Godts, Dro Fernández, Ndjantou, João Neves.

Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Akliouche, Dembélé, Doué.

That means Luis Enrique, who has the luxury in Ligue 1 to rest many players, makes eight changes from the XI for Saturday's home victory over Le Mans.

Kvaratskhelia is only on the bench, as is the wonderful Joao Neves. That's what you call an embarrassment of riches.

Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly are out at full-back, replaced by Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol, while Jérémy Doku, who came off the bench on Sunday and scored, replaces Iliman Ndiaye:

TNT Sports had a first go at addressing the Manchester City verdicts on Saturday

And it didn't go very well. Joe Cole was remarkably incoherent even for a football pundit talking about more important issues. And words you never thought you would type: Martin Keown the voice of sense:

Luis Enrique on the independent commission's verdict

I hope everything works out well for Man City because I think what they have done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and they certainly deserved to win all the trophies they have won.

The trophies you win on the pitch remain on the pitch. They deserved to win that and I hope they can avoid the sanction.

But now we have to wait to see what the authorities decide or the judge is going to say.

Good evening, and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League tie between Manchester City and Paris St-Germain, champions in 2025 and 2026 and favourites to become only the fourth club, after Real Madrid (who have done it twice), Ajax and Bayern Munich to win a hat-trick of European Cups.

After Manchester City's conviction by an independent commission on 114 charges of financial malpractice in contravention of Premier League rules, finding the right tone to use to cover their matches during their appeal is difficult. While they are in limbo, the rest of English football is in purgatory and although Gary Neville, the Pope of Pilsworth, in unsurprisingly hyperbolic fashion has said he would prefer not to cover City's games in future, that is not an indulgence a serious news organisation would countenance. They have to be covered and the issues addressed.

Having said that, in this format of a rolling report on the old minute-by-minute template, I think we have to cover the controversy and its implications in the whole during the build-up and keep an eye on reaction and references to it during the run of play. But I don't think it would serve anyone to take the stance during the live coverage that anything that is happening on the field is unimportant, redundant and ultimately void because of the guilty verdicts, and hence adopt a flippant tone. I propose once the match starts to treat it as a match while not ignoring the context.

Right, let's get stuck into the Gulf State sovereign wealth fund derby… sorry, imposible to resist.

PSG have made a slow start to their Ligue 1 campaign, their worst since Luis Enrique's first season in charge. Starting with two draws and a defeat, they have rallied with three successive victories to climb up to sixth as the head coach, as he tends to do in the league, rotates his midfielders and forwards like crazy, to whose ranks he has added the World Cup-winner Ferran Torres. The summer signing scored a hat-trick in his Champions League debut for the club, a 6-1 mauling of Slovan Bratislava.

City, too, started their European campaign with a win, Erling Haaland scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory over Porto at the Dragao and you won't need me to remind you that they have won all six of their Premier League games to lead Arsenal by three points at the top of the table.

As I pointed out in Monday's Sportsday, and sorry for the repetition if you're a subscriber (if not you can join us here ) City welcome Pepe Guardiola back to the Etihad tonight: "Although the six-time title winning manager will be there, solely he maintains, as a supporter and may well be seen shaking his inflatable banana, getting the badge in and even twisting his melon, man, he is also there as a support, steadfast in his belief in the club and their integrity. Watch him turn spectating into a symbolic act."