MESSI OPENS PSG ACCOUNT TO SINK CITY
LIONEL MESSI scored his first Paris Saint-Germain goal as the Champions League favourites exacted revenge for last season’s semi-final mauling by beating Manchester City 2-0 in their Group A clash last night.
Summer signing Messi, who had missed two games with a knee problem, delighted the Parc des Princes crowd with a glorious finish after 74 minutes, Idrissa Gueye having given the Ligue 1 side an early lead.
City, who lost a first away game in the competition outside of England since December 2017, played well but failed to take their chances.
Boss Pep Guardiola had said in the build-up he ‘didn’t know’ how to effectively stop PSG’S all-star attacking spearhead of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
And his words proved prophetic as it took the hosts seven minutes to break through. Messi pushed forward before a surging Mbappe’s pull back from the right was miscued by Neymar, only for Gueye to collect and smash high into the net.
City responded well but somehow could not force an equaliser on 25 minutes, Raheem Sterling’s header striking the crossbar and falling at the feet of Bernardo Silva just two yards out – the Portuguese contriving to lift his effort against the bar.
City keeper Ederson did tip away Ander Herrera’s fierce effort while opposite number Gianluigi Donnarumma blocked Ruben Dias’ header and then made a good save to deny Kevin De Bruyne, who had perhaps been lucky to receive just a booking for a late first-half tackle on Gueye.
But City were killed off by Messi when the former Barcelona man linked up with Mbappe and curled a sumptuous effort past Ederson for his seventh goal in seven appearances against the Premier League side.