Lionel Messi’s stunning first Paris Saint-Germain goal sealed a 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
Messi had failed to find the net in his first three PSG appearances but marked his return to Mauricio Pochettino’s team with a trademark run and exquisite finish 16 minutes from time.
Idrissa Gueye had given PSG an eighth-minute lead with a brilliant finish of his own, a lead which City should have cancelled out when Bernardo Silva hit the bar from three yards in the first half, but their hopes of a comeback were extinguished by Messi’s latest moment of magic.
PSG’s first Champions League victory of the season moves them top of Group A, while City drop to third – behind Club Brugge – after suffering their first group-stage defeat since 2018 on a testing night in the French capital.
The Premier League champions were the architects of their own downfall, letting far too many attacks break down with the wrong pass or shot, as Pep Guardiola’s men came up short against the Ligue 1 giants ahead of a pivotal league clash against Liverpool at the weekend.
Though the visitors were on top all night, a clinical PSG side scored with two of their first three shots on target to come away comfortable winners on the night.
