Beaten but qualified. Paris Saint-Germain was logically beaten on the road on the Manchester City lawn on Wednesday November 24 (1-2) but validated its ticket for the knockout stages of the Champions League thanks to the heavy defeat of Bruges against Leipzig ( 0-5). The capital club believed they could redo the first leg of the match, opening the scoring thanks to Kylian Mbappé after having suffered for a long time. But the Citizens quickly regained the upper hand with the achievements of Raheem Sterling (63rd) and Gabriel Jesus (76th).
Keylor Navas: 6/10
Four days after his avoidable expulsion against Nantes (3-1), the Costa Rican goalkeeper has recovered and lives up to his reputation as an irreproachable last bulwark in the Champions League. He closes his first post well against Mahrez (5th) and frustrates the Algerian a second time by diving to get out of the frame his wounded attempt. He cannot do anything on the opposing two goals.
Achraf Hakimi: 3/10
If he deviated several dangerous trajectories in his area, including a strike from Riyad Mahrez (17th), the Moroccan narrowly missed in offensive transition, in an area where he usually excels. Not irreproachable either on the defensive level, he is even at fault on the citizen equalizer. While his defense teammates are three to want to intervene on Gabriel Jesus at the near post, he is several meters behind Raheem Sterling who only has to conclude quietly (62nd). It is also on his side that comes the second goal of City.
Marquinhos: 6/10
Not conceding a goal against Manchester City is a miracle, and Marquinhos has assumed his captain status. He was a perfect barrier to the strikes of Zinchenko (28th) and Gündogan (34th). After weathering the storm, he showed the way for his teammates by accompanying an attack just before the break, finishing right winger. The Brazilian has been the backbone of his team, touching almost 30 more balls than all his teammates (with 97% of successful passes).
Presnel Kimpembe: 6/10
We had left him at fault at the very end of the match against Leipzig (2-2) and it was in authoritarian custody that he made his return. Fresh from injury, the French international allowed Paris to stay in the game despite the waves of Mancun. He entered his game perfectly, with a saving header on his goal line after just four minutes of play.
Nuno Mendes: 3.5 / 10
Less shyness but no more serenity. The young Portuguese side has, for once, not spent the entirety of his meeting to undergo. It is he who offers Paris his first opportunity by piercing alone the opposing rearguard, but his shot is too crushed to worry Ederson (27th). However, his defensive interventions still lack sharpness or precision. He was close to the fault in his own penalty area at the very start of the match on Mahrez (13th). Replaced by Thilo Kehrer (67th) to whom Mauricio Pochettino did not give a gift by placing him left-back.
1 – Paris had not lost a match after having opened the scoring in all competitions since April 28 against… Manchester City in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League (1-2). Damn. #MCIPSG pic.twitter.com/P29YT2G6NG
– OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 24, 2021
Leandro Paredes: 4.5 / 10
In the absence of Marco Verratti, he represented PSG’s only hope to try to come out cleanly despite the Guardiolesque pressing. But the Argentine had to be content with a role of midfielder, who rarely saw him shine. His impact in the duels allowed his teammates to take a few happy breaths (six tackles, match record). But its impact was too weak in the Parisian distribution.
Idrissa Gueye: 4/10
Drowned like his other teammates on the restart, the Senegalese ran a lot in the void. His will was not enough for him to intervene on his opponents. He often seemed late and ended the game injured and with only one attempted tackle. Replaced by Eric-Junior Dina Ebimbe in the 67th minute.
Ander Herrera: 4.5 / 10
Strange evening for the Spaniard. If he was one of the most clumsy Parisian players, like when he missed a back pass at the very start of the match (8th), he was the one who offered the most solutions to the recovery when Paris struggled to get his head out of the water. It is replaced by Danilo Pereira after feeling pain behind the right thigh (61st) and Paris conceded his two goals after his exit.
Neymar: 3.5 / 10
The opportunities were very rare. Paris has the habit of converting them on great evenings. Not Wednesday. If Neymar participated in the construction of Mbappé’s goal, he failed to express himself as he knows how to do. Above all, he had the opportunity to give back the advantage to his people but he missed the frame after having done the hardest against Ederson (74th). Two minutes later, City took the lead and didn’t give up.
Lionel Messi: 4.5 / 10
Aligned with Neymar and Mbappé, the Argentine was eagerly awaited. But he hid like his two accomplices in the attack in the first period by not participating in the defensive withdrawal and especially by not offering solutions to the recovery. He will nevertheless have shown more accuracy than Neymar and it is his service, admittedly deviated, which allows Mbappé to find the net.
Kylian Mbappé: 5/10
Even when things don’t go well, he’s got the flu, Kylian is there. Very happy to receive the deflected center of Lionel Messi, he was quick to give the advantage to Paris by scoring between the legs of Ederson (50th). During a match where he will not have had an ideal field of expression, the 2018 world champion had difficulty signaling himself. He even missed a first opportunity just before the break, spoiling a three-on-two situation by opening his foot too much (44th).