Man City vs PSG player ratings: Bernardo Silva stars in Champions League victory
Man City 2-1 PSG: City clinched top spot in Group A as PSG had to settled for second place
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City hit back in the final half an hour to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 and seal top spot in Group A of the Champions League.
Goals by Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus were no more than City deserved after dominating for much of the game without reward, denied time after time by PSG’s last-ditch defending. Kylian Mbappe’s goal on the break gave PSG the lead early in the second half, but they could not hold on.
Here’s how every player rated.
Ederson, 5: Had very little to do, but will think he could have done better with Mbappe’s goal which slipped between his legs.
Kyle Walker, 6: His recovery pace was important in putting off Kylian Mbappe when through on goal late in the first half.
Ruben Dias, 7: An excellent tackle to shut down Messi in the second period.
John Stones, 5: Caught on the ball in the first half and nearly punished for it.
Joao Cancelo, 6: Pulled off one of his brilliant passes with the outside of the right foot, but generally not as creative as he has been in recent weeks.
Rodri, 7: Controlled the tempo in midfield, though he was helped by the fact that PSG’s front three were reluctant to disrupt him. Booked for a lunge on Leandro Paredes.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, 5: A tidy enough job out of position in midfield but was sacrificed early in the second half as Pep Guardiola chased the game.
Ilkay Gundogan, 6: Typically tidy on the ball. Could and probably should have scored in the first half, instead hitting the post.
Bernardo Silva, 8: Constantly bright, particularly with his under-lapping runs to the byline which got City in behind. A beautifully deft touch to set up Gabriel Jesus for City’s winning goal.
Raheem Sterling, 7: Rarely caused Achraf Hakimi problems and his wild shot at the end of the first half summed up a lack of conviction in his play, but was in the right place at the right time – as he so often is – to score City’s crucial equaliser.
Riyad Mahrez, 7: Dangerous when he cut inside on his left foot and almost scored the opener early in the first half. His pinpoint cross to the far post played a key part in City’s winner.
Subs: Gabriel Jesus, 7.
Paris Saint-Germain
Keylor Navas, 7: Important saves in the first half kept PSG in a game they could have let slipped far earlier than they did.
Achraf Hakimi, 6: Kept Raheem Sterling relatively quiet until his goal, but didn’t offer as much as he can do going forwards simply because he rarely had the opportunity.
Presnel Kimpembe, 6: One of many players to make a crucial block in the first half.
Marquinhos, 6: Another vital block helped keep City out during that spell of dominance from the home side.
Nuno Mendes, 6: His surging run sparked PSG’s opener but he struggled to contain the movement of Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva at the other end – admittedly without much support from his winger in front.
Ander Herrera, 5: Busy and covered plenty of ground in a midfield three constantly dragged across the pitch.
Idrissa Gueye, 5: Replaced midway through the second half.
Leandro Paredes, 7: One of PSG’s best players, working hard in midfield and using the ball well when he occasionally got hold of it.
Lionel Messi, 6: Virtually anonymous in the first half but more lively after the break, and played an important part in stitching together PSG’s opening goal.
Kylian Mbappe, 7: Missed a glorious chance to score on the break in the first half, bending his shot over the crossbar, but made no mistake early in the second, driving a finish through Ederson’s legs.
Neymar, 5: Had moments of sharp skill but never carried much threat, and missed a big chance late in the day0. Worked the hardest of the Parisian front three, but that’s not saying much.
Subs: Angel Di Maria, 5; Danilo Periera, 5; Thilo Kehrer, 6.
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