Paris Saint-Germain survived a dramatic second-half fightback from Manchester City to win 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The French champions built a commanding three-goal lead early in the match, but they had to work hard to protect their victory after City striker Erling Haaland scored twice to threaten an unexpected comeback.
PSG completely controlled the opening 35 minutes at City's Etihad Stadium. Desire Doue opened the scoring with a shot from outside the penalty area, and he set up Ousmane Dembele for a second goal just two minutes later. Vitinha then scored a third goal from the edge of the box, putting the visitors in full control before half-time.
Manchester City fought back strongly after the break. Haaland gave the home fans hope when he headed in a cross, and he later added a second goal after his earlier shot hit the crossbar. However, a looping strike from PSG substitute Maghnes Akliouche kept the visitors in front, even though City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a late penalty to stop PSG from scoring a fifth.
The defeat added to a difficult period for Manchester City off the field. The English club was playing its first home match since an independent commission found it guilty of breaking more than 100 financial rules. While City showed spirit to challenge PSG in the second half, the loss leaves them with serious questions on and off the pitch.