After securing a statement victory of their own at the weekend by beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Man City were on the wrong end of one in Paris on Tuesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino won the tactical battle against Pep Guardiola in Group A of the Champions League, with his PSG side running out 2-0 victors at Parc des Princes.
A lot of the talk before the game surrounded whether or not Lionel Messi would start against his former Barcelona boss, with Guardiola admitting he 'didn't know' how he'd stop Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and the legendary Argentine.
Lo and behold, Messi started.
BREAKING: Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti will both start vs Man City pic.twitter.com/jR4jxhAFr8
— MC (@CrewsMat10) September 28, 2021
Messi, Mbappe & Neymar to start against Man City this eve.
— Kevin Pietersen? (@KP24) September 28, 2021
⚽️⚽️⚽️
OFFICIAL:
— Ziad is in less pain (@Ziad_EJ) September 28, 2021
Messi will start today for PSG vs Man City.
VAMOS !! pic.twitter.com/RGwX4kwwJn
It was inevitable, then, who the goalscorer would be when PSG took the lead inside ten minutes...
That's right: Everton legend Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, De Bruyne, Sterling, Grealish and Mahrez all on the pitch at the Parc des Princes...
— 90min (@90min_Football) September 28, 2021
Idrissa Gueye opens the scoring. Couldn't write it. ? pic.twitter.com/6iTuz6yFly
Forget Messi, Neymar & Mbappe.
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) September 28, 2021
It’s Idrissa Gueye! ? pic.twitter.com/qBgiF9g2Yr
PSG start Messi, Mbappe and Neymar but it's Idrissa Gueye who opens the scoring ? pic.twitter.com/MJnK4zRY62
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 28, 2021
City should have been level midway through the half, but Bernardo Silva inexplicably hit the woodwork TWICE - first the crossbar then the post - after Raheem Sterling's headed effort bounced to him off the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Don't miss the pass from Kevin De Bruyne - it's an absolute peach.
No-one could quite believe it...
How did the ball not end up in the PSG net?! ?
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 28, 2021
Raheem Sterling's header hits the bar, and then a moment to forget for Bernardo Silva...#UCL pic.twitter.com/vdIvAU4uHs
Good heavens! How did Bernardo Silva miss that?
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) September 28, 2021
I can’t believe that Bernardo Silva and Manchester City did not score here. Madness. pic.twitter.com/V7kbBejatN
— Tom Carnduff (@TomC_22) September 28, 2021
Bernardo Silva missed the goal from here but no one is going to talk about it because his name isn’t Timo Werner. pic.twitter.com/hJNPJcESI3
— Alfonso♨️ (@Primealfonsoo) September 28, 2021
that's honestly pathetic from bernardo silva. that pass from kev de bruyne deserved it all
— Gene Oliver (@genepoli) September 28, 2021
There was a flashpoint shortly before half-time, with De Bruyne very lucky to escape with a booking for a nasty-looking, high and late challenge on Gueye, leaving Man Utd fans fuming after Aaron Wan Bissaka's dismissal for a similar foul on Matchday 1.
PSG will rightly feel aggrieved by the lack of a red card here for Kevin de Bruyne. pic.twitter.com/xeqMLCWDFt
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) September 28, 2021
It is absolutely farcical and inexcusable in a VAR-operated game that this was not a red card. https://t.co/VjH1hjYlvf
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) September 28, 2021
That’s not a red card because it’s Kevin de Bruyne ?
— Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) September 28, 2021
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off for the exact same challenge that Kevin de Bruyne just done on Gueye. The referee has only given KdB a yellow card, what an absolute joke. pic.twitter.com/X784hupj2f
— Devils of United ? (@DevilsOfUnited) September 28, 2021
However, the Belgian's presence on the pitch would ultimately make no odds as Messi stole the show and finally notched the first goal of what will surely be thousands in a PSG shirt.
It was trademark too, with the Argentine dribbling forward and drifting inside to play a one-two with Mbappe and continuing into a bit of space. Aymeric Laporte couldn't catch him and he swept home a glorious first-time finish into the top right corner.
Ederson didn't move an inch.
Messi has his first #UCL goal for PSG and it's a thing of beauty! ?pic.twitter.com/GPD5wp3rdM
— BT Sport (@btsport) September 28, 2021
Did I lose it? Of course I lost it!!!! What a goal! Meeeeesssssiiiiii, Meeeeessssiiii, Meeeesssssiiiiii! #GoalsShow #Messi #PSG@btsportfootball @btsport pic.twitter.com/itHQErGyRv
— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) September 28, 2021
Pochettino on Messi's goal: "Oh I celebrated today. I don't usually celebrate goals, it's internalised. Today, I let out a shout."
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) September 28, 2021
Lionel Messi has scored his first ever goal for Paris Saint-Germain.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 28, 2021
And what a finish it was. ? pic.twitter.com/SpQJcQSiNj
Lionel Messi has never played for an English club and yet has scored 27 goals against English clubs.
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 28, 2021
He’s something else. ? pic.twitter.com/iysCyQRkXv
Lionel Messi. A vintage strike from the greatest footballer of all-time, made all the sweeter by the incredible noise made by the Parc des Princes after the ball hit the net. Truly magical. pic.twitter.com/SamcGuTbIS
— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) September 28, 2021
Lionel Messi. Off the mark for PSG. Top bins.
— 90min (@90min_Football) September 28, 2021
Textbook. ?pic.twitter.com/xRdBrJO4uW
A goal worthy of winning (or securing a win) in any game, and one Messi will remember for a long time yet.
Source : 90min