Key events
10 min: Cherki bursts into the PSG box down the left. Marquinhos sticks a leg across him. Cherki goes over. There’s contact – and a VAR check – but turns out Marquinhos got a touch on the ball. No penalty.
8 min: Akliouche looks to have won a corner off Gvardiol down the right, but the linesman awards a goal kick. From the restart, Semenyo gets a bit careless and allows Zaïre-Emery a shot. Donnarumma has it covered.
6 min: Semenyo surges down the inside-right channel but his flick towards Cherki on the wing is no good. But that’s City’s first sortie into enemy territory.
4 min: The PSG fans are making all of the noise. City’s supporters are subdued, perhaps all tuckered out after partying hard at Anfield.
2 min: Cherki is caught dozing by Dembélé, who sends Doué scampering down a cul-de-sac on the left. Cherki will be pleased Khusanov was on point there.
PSG, in their blue shirts with red central panel, launch the kick-off in their usual rugby-union style. City in their sky blue.
The teams make it onto the pitch … after a fashion. City left their visitors waiting in the tunnel for a couple of minutes. Then the Champions League theme, to the usual chorus of disgust. As loud as the Uefa-focused opprobrium usually is? Not sure; it’s almost as though City fans have their minds on a different admin-infused opponent. Whatever, the atmosphere seems a little subdued; everyone’s been through the ringer, one way or the other, in recent weeks. Sure it’ll get going in a minute when the match eventually kicks off (late).
Pep Guardiola is indeed in the house. He’s sat behind City director of football Hugo Viana in the executive box. A mosaic in the stand: CTID. City Til I Die.
Enzo Maresca speaks to TNT. “It’s a special night … Champions League night against the best team in Europe … hopefully we can win the game … I know Pep [Guardiola] will be here but he was not at the training ground [earlier today] and I did not speak with him … by showing support to the club even when he is not here, for sure it’s a special moment for him tonight also … he is back to his home … also for the fans, they will be happy to see Pep here tonight … to beat PSG you need a complete performance … on and off the ball … we are going to create some chances and concede some chances … we need to find the right balance.”
A reminder of what happened the last time these clubs met.
A Guardian exclusive courtesy of Kiran Stacey and Matt Hughes.
Manchester City go strong in the wake of their 3-0 win at Anfield. Jeremy Doku, Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol replace Iliman Ndiaye, Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly in the starting XI. PSG haven’t quite gone so strong, in so much as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is only on the bench. But then again he can come off it later when everyone else is a bit knackered, so it’s swings and roundabouts. Ferran Torres, erstwhile of City, is also named as a sub.
The teams
Manchester City: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Bettinelli, Rulli, Ndiaye, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Nunes, Bouaddi, O’Reilly, Allan, Foden, Lewis.
Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaïre-Emery, Doué, Dembelé, Akliouche.
Subs: Chevalier, Mouak, Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres, Digne, L. Hernández, Godts, Dro Fernández, Ndjantou, João Neves.
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany).
Preamble
Shall we set the scene? Let me cede the floor to Matt Hughes …
… and so the recent history of the winners of three of the last four editions of the Champions League is told. Opinions regarding the state of it (no pun intended) may vary. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/oct/14/manchester-city-v-paris-saint-germain-champions-league-live-score-updates
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