UCL 2024-25: PSG roars back to stun Manchester City 4-2; Inter edges past Sparta Prague

UCL 2024-25: PSG roars back to stun Manchester City 4-2; Inter edges past Sparta Prague

Paris Saint-Germain clawed back from two goals down to stun Manchester City 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday and leave the English club outside the playoff places and in danger of elimination.

Goals from PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos turned the match on its head after City had taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

Substitute Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland struck in the 50th and 53rd minutes to give City a 2-0 lead, but fans who braved the torrential rain at Parc de Princes were treated to a brilliant comeback by the host.

Dembele latched on to a cross from Barcola to sweep home a goal in the 56th minute. Barcola levelled four minutes later when he tucked in the rebound after Desire Doue’s blistering shot came back off the crossbar.

PSG parked itself in City’s half and took the lead in the 78th minute when the visitors’ backline struggled to clear Vitinha’s free-kick, leaving Neves to head in at the back post and Ramos added the fourth in stoppage time.

PSG climbed to 22nd in the table, while City, which hoisted the Champions League trophy in 2023 but has won just two of its seven group games, dropped to 25th, one spot below the playoff qualification spots.

City’s loss sets up a nerve-jangling finale when it hosts Belgian side Club Brugge on January 29. The top eight teams qualify automatically for the last 16, while sides finishing ninth to 24th compete in two-legged knockout playoffs to secure their spot in the last 16.

PSG was the better side for most of the game and briefly celebrated a goal by Achraf Hakimi seconds before halftime which was ruled out for offside.

City seemed to be continuing its revival weeks of poor results when Grealish rifled in the rebound from Bernardo Silva’s shot, and Haaland doubled the lead when Grealish’s cross took a deflection to fall to the Norwegian who hammered home from close range.

But PSG then blitzed the English champion, which had squandered a three-goal lead against Feyenoord to draw 3-3 in November, and it travels to VfB Stuttgart for its final game of the league phase.

Lautaro Martinez scored a superb first-half volley as Inter Milan claimed a 1-0 Champions League victory over host Sparta Prague on Wednesday to stay on course for an automatic place in the round of 16.

Martinez fired home at the back post from the tightest of angles as he connected with Alessandro Bastoni’s cross and the ball bounced up and in off the underside of the crossbar, giving Sparta goalkeeper Peter Vindahl no chance.

The home side offered little in the way of a goal threat and are now out of contention for a place in the playoffs, having managed four points from its seven games and losing its last five matches in a row in the competition.

Inter climbed to fourth in the table with 16 points from seven fixtures and should seal its automatic round of 16 place at home to Monaco in its final fixture on January 29.