PARIS (AP) – Paris Saint-Germain lost its composure and the match as Manchester City rallied to win 2-1 away from home in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. PSG led 1-0 through captain Marquinhos’ early header from a corner, but City skipper Kevin De Bruyne equalized in the 64th minute when goalkeeper Keylor Navas misread his dipping cross, and it bounced inside his post. Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick – through a wall that jumped early and left an inviting gap for the Algeria winger – put the visitors ahead in the 71st.
“We deserved the lead, but they were better than us in the second half. Physically they were a little bit more aggressive; it was difficult for us to recover the ball,” PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We’re very disappointed with the two goals. It’s difficult to accept that this happened in the semifinal; it’s excruciating.” PSG’s composure soon crumbled after City’s quick 1-2 punch, as has often been the case in recent seasons when under pressure. Pochettino’s side finished the game with ten players as midfielder Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card in the 77th minute for a dangerous tackle on midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
The city could have taken a more significant lead into the return leg next Tuesday, but winger Phil Foden shot straight at Navas after a brilliant jinking run through PSG’s flagging defense. “In football, you need to believe,” Pochettino said. “Of course, we are under a little bit of pressure, but you need to try in football.” City coach Pep Guardiola wants his players to stay relaxed for the return leg rather than about reaching the final for the first time in the club’s history. “All I want is for us to be ourselves in the second leg,” he said. “We are good playing a certain way; we cannot do it differently.”near the front post and head in the 15th-minute opener.
It was another vital goal from the Brazilian after netting a last-gasp equalizer in the quarterfinals and scoring in the semis last season. Di Maria was causing City’s defense problems with his runs from the right flank, while both Neymar and Marco Verratti were opening City up with their passing. With City now playing on the break, Foden wasted a good chance near the gap when he shot straight at Navas from just inside the penalty area after being set up by Bernardo Silva’s pass from the right.
