Player Rankings: PSG vs. Manchester City (September 28, 2021)
PSG will do all in their power to defeat Man City in their crucial Champions League group stage matchup at the Parc des Princes. They succeeded admirably with a convincing 2-0 victory — in which Lionel Messi scored his first goal for the Ligue 1 giants!
PSG got off to a flying start thanks to the home crowd’s enthusiasm, as Idrissa Gueye finished off a wonderful move inside the box to give them the lead in the eighth minute. In search of an equalizer, City came roaring back, but the Ligue 1 side managed to keep them at bay and take the lead into halftime.
When PSG needed a goal, their messiah delivered. The hosts continued to frustrate City. PSG went up 2-0 in the 74th minute when Lionel Messi scored his first goal for the club with a stunning top corner finish!
After that, the citizens made an attempt to return, but it was too little, too late for them. This result has heated up Group A, as PSG and Club Brugge are now equal on 4 points, with City in third place on 3 points. There is still a lot to play for, but this victory has given PSG a better chance of winning the group.
Here are your PSG vs. Manchester City player ratings.
A COMPARISON OF PSG PLAYERS AND MANCHESTER UNITED’S
Managers
Mauricio Pochettino (7.5) –
Once again, Pochettino outdoes Pep. He set up his team to take advantage of City’s weaknesses, perhaps learning from last season’s defeat. To frustrate the Citizens, he made his team sit back and wait for an opportunity to strike. While the gamble nearly backfired due to the Citizens’ numerous high-quality scoring opportunities, his team was able to hold on despite the pressure.
While Poch still has a lot of work to do to get the most out of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe, today’s outstanding attacking effort showed glimpses of how terrific they can be when working together. It was a commendable effort from PSG today, with most of it attributable to Pochettino’s superb set-up.
The goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma (9.0) –
It’s Donnarumma’s first time playing in the UCL today for PSG. In the 32nd minute, he came up big to deny Cancelo a goal. In the 37th minute, he made a diving stop to keep De Bruyne off the scoresheet. City further frustrated City with a stunning reflex stop in the 44th minute to deny Ruben Dias.
In the 54th minute, he made a solid block to keep De Bruyne at bay. “You shall not pass,” said Donnarumma today. He made seven saves, some of which were extremely difficult. His debut in the UCL was a memorable one because of the crucial saves he made to keep PSG in the game.
defense.
Achraf Hakimi (7.5) –
In the first half, Hakimi was instrumental in allowing Kylian Mbappe to get into the box and create havoc. With his forward movement and ability to connect with his teammates, the right-back is causing problems for City.With his defensive challenges and nullification of Jack Grealish’s danger in the first half, Hakimi showed he’s more than just an attacking full-back.
Marquinhos (8.0) –
During the first half, the PSG captain marshaled his team to keep a sturdy backline in place and to frustrate City with crucial challenges. While Raheem Sterling had a few good chances to score in the first half due to Marquinhos’ superb defending, the striker was unable to convert any of them.
Presnel Kimpembe (7.0) –
Taking risks was a trait of the French center-back, and it almost led to tragedy in the 29th minute when he lost possession inside the box before the ball was cleared away. After that, he was beaten by Dias late in the first half, allowing Dias a chance to score. Kimpembe stepped up his game in the second half, sticking with Marquinhos and keeping his side clean.
Nuno Mendes (7.5) –
When it came to dealing with Riyad Mahrez’s threat, PSG’s deadline day signing didn’t appear to be phased in the least. As a result, the youthful full-back was a lively presence down the left flank and remained composed despite the pressure, helping to frustrate City.
Midfielders
Marco Veratti (7.0) –
PSG’s most composed midfielder, Veratti, has returned from injury and looks sharp. His accurate passes are doing a great job of assisting the team’s offensive progress. As the pressure grew, he maintained his poise and resilience against City’s midfielders, while his brilliant delivery helped create counter-attacking chances.
Ander Herrera (6.5) –
To disrupt City’s attacking moves with crunching challenges, the energetic midfielder attempts, but fails to stop the visitors from making chances. But after a poor start, Herrera didn’t flinch, maintaining his intensity in midfield and making it difficult for City to create chances through the middle of the field..
Idrissa Gueye (8.0) –
The Ivory Coast midfielder, although playing a more defensive position, skillfully advanced into the box before slotting home the opening goal. After that, Gueye was virtually everywhere on the field, and he made up a lot of ground in the process. Gueye won seven duels, three tackles, and shifted the ball quickly to avoid getting swamped in the midfield. The former Everton player put forth a tremendous amount of effort.
Forwards
Lionel Messi (8.0).
After passing a last-minute fitness test, Lionel Messi is poised to face his former mentor’s team in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. participating actively in linking-up moves and fending off the city’s press. When Messi eventually scores his first PSG goal, it’s a masterpiece. He played an exquisite one-two with Mbappe before slamming a beautiful shot into the top corner.
With some fantastic link-up play today, he appears to be slowly but steadily rediscovering his mojo at PSG and provided an early glimpse of how lethal his relationship with Neymar and Mbappe can be….
Neymar (7.0) –
Neymar missed an excellent chance in an open area just before Gueye’s goal, and he was fortunate that his teammate was able to make up for it. In the 34th minute, after attempting a shot from outside the box, he sent one high into the seats. At 65, he exploded forward on a smart counterattack, moving into the box with ease, but his scuffed shot sailed just wide.
Although Neymar’s finishing was dubious, he did a great job moving the ball forward and constantly troubling the defense with his dribbles. It seems to have rekindled his swoon-worthy chemistry with Messi once again.
Kylian Mbappe (7.5) –
Mbappe’s pace caused problems for City right away, and he set up the opening goal with a beautiful cut-back. He has a good time using his quick dribbles to get past defenders. Created the opening for Messi’s goal with a beautiful back-heel flick from outside the box. As an imposing shadow striker who let others take center stage, the Frenchman was unstoppable with his forward movement.
Substitutions
Gini Wijnaldum is the athlete in question. The score for this item is 6.0.
Wijnaldum kept City from creating many clear-cut chances in the closing stages, allowing his team to cruise to victory.
Don’t forget about Danilo Pereira, either.
He assisted his team in completing the task.
The best player on the field
PSG’s new striker, Lionel Messi, had an immediate impact with his debut goal for the club. However, this one must go to Donnarumma. PSG wouldn’t have won without his game-winning saves. Today’s Most Valuable Player is PSG’s new goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
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