Manchester City’s unbeaten run under Enzo Maresca came to a dramatic end on Wednesday night. Paris Saint-Germain tore into a three-goal lead before holding off a spirited City fightback to win 4-2 in a Champions League classic at the Etihad.

City started brightly, but the game turned in the space of two minutes. Désiré Doué broke the deadlock with a superb long-range strike, and barely 99 seconds later Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead with a header that left the home side stunned. Vitinha made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute, and the reigning European champions walked off at the break firmly in control.

City lost their shape and their nerve after those two quick blows. PSG, pressing relentlessly and moving with real sharpness, looked like scoring every time they went forward.

The second half was a different story. Maresca made changes, including the introduction of teenager Ayoub Bouaddi, and City suddenly found energy and urgency in midfield. They pressed higher, created chances and pushed PSG back, with Erling Haaland leading the charge.

The Norwegian scored twice to give the Etihad real hope, and for a while an improbable comeback felt possible. Maresca later said his side had done enough after the interval to deserve something from the game.

PSG had the final word, though. Maghnes Akliouche’s effort squirmed past a despairing Gianluigi Donnarumma to restore the two-goal cushion and effectively settle the contest. Former City forward Ferran Torres even missed a late penalty for the visitors, but by then it hardly mattered.

The loss was City’s first under Maresca and ended an eight-match winning run since he succeeded Pep Guardiola. It came with Guardiola watching from the stands, as his former club were outplayed for 45 minutes by a team he knows well.

For PSG, it was another statement performance from the back-to-back champions. They go top of the league-phase table with six points from two matches, while City slip to 17th after two games.

Maresca refused to be too downbeat afterwards. “We are there,” he said. “My feeling is that we are close,” adding that the early goals made a difficult night even harder.

City must now regroup quickly. The second-half response offered plenty of encouragement, but against Europe’s best, slow starts come at a heavy price.

By: Addy Kennedy Edem