PSG 4-2 City on Guardiola’s Etihad return; Real survives Roma scare
PSG vs Manchester City ends 4-2 as Guardiola's Etihad return ends in heartbreak
Paris Saint-Germain made quick work of Pep Guardiola‘s first return to the Etihad Stadium, hammering Manchester City 4-2 in a Champions League matchday-two clash that reinforced PSG‘s status as European title contenders while exposing the extent of City’s vulnerability.
The French champions were never in doubt against a City side playing its first home European fixture since UEFA’s financial irregularities verdict. Desiré Doué opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Ousmane Dembélé extended the lead two minutes later and Vitinha capped a dominant first half with a third in the 32nd. City pulled two goals back through Erling Haaland, the Norwegian netting his 61st Champions League goal with a second-half header, before Maghnes Akliouche restored PSG’s three-goal cushion in the 63rd. Ferran Torres, gifted a late chance from the spot, fired wide and PSG held on.
Guardiola, who departed the Premier League champions at the end of summer after a decade-long tenure, took the emotional return to the Etihad in his stride, but the result left his former club reeling. The defeat arrived after City had made a perfect start to the domestic campaign, routing Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield over the weekend — a sequence that encapsulates the contrasting fortunes of two clubs on opposite sides of their current cycles.
Elsewhere in Champions League matchday two action, the competition delivered drama from Liverpool to Rome. At the Raiffeisen Arena, Liverpool bounced back from their own earlier defeat with a 6-3 rout of Austrian outfit LASK, with Bradley Barcola netting a hat-trick. Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Frimpong were also on target, while Florian Wirtz, heavily criticised for his role in Sunday’s loss to City, produced a fine assist. Liverpool grew sloppy in the final stages, conceding twice, but the victory kept their title challenge on track.
In Rome, Jose Mourinho witnessed a fairy-tale return to his former club, only to watch Real Madrid snatch a dramatic 4-3 victory from 3-1 down. Marten de Roon had opened the scoring for Roma before Kylian Mbappé equalised with a deflected effort, and a Donyell Malen brace put the hosts 3-1 ahead with an hour on the clock. Carlos Espin, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger then combined for a remarkable second-half comeback, with Rüdiger’s 90th-minute strike sealing it for the record European champions.
Aston Villa made short work of Fenerbahce at Villa Park, thrashing the Turkish side 6-0 in front of Prince William, the club’s most high-profile supporter. Nicolas Jackson and Ross Barkley each scored twice, Johan Manzambi — celebrating his 21st birthday — opened the scoring, and Tammy Abraham sealed the victory.
In other results, VfB Stuttgart won 3-0 at Slovan Bratislava behind Deniz Undav’s first-season opener, while Bodø/Glimt edged Borussia Dortmund 1-0. Feyenoord defeated Como 3-2, Shakhtar Donetsk beat AEK Athens 3-1 and Real Betis came from behind to beat Porto 3-2.
The victories left PSG, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Stuttgart on maximum points after two rounds, alongside Barcelona, Arsenal and Sporting, who topped the expanded league-phase table after matchday one. Champions League results from matchday three are expected next week.
