The strangest sight of Lionel Messi was one of the last. The Argentinian has been many things during the most glorious of careers but rarely the draft excluder. But he was reinvented in injury time, lying on the ground, facing his own goal as Riyad Mahrez lined up a free kick. Thankfully for Messi, it did not skim the turf.
The more familiar image was of Messi ghosting through, caressing the ball with his left foot, sending it into the top corner of the Manchester City goal. The incongruous element was that Kylian Mbappe supplied the deft lay-off, that the shirt on his back was Paris Saint-Germain’s.
It was Messi’s first goal for his new club but the sort Pep Guardiola recognised all too well; there were certain similarities with many of the double century Messi scored for him at Barcelona. “We know it’s impossible to control Leo during 90 minutes,” his former manager said. “When he can run and get close to the ball he is unstoppable.”
Part of City’s gameplan, Guardiola said, had been to “minimise” the number of times Messi was in such situations. In a sense, it succeeded. Messi had a solitary shot, but it was a sublime one.
Messi had missed PSG’s previous two games with a minor knee injury. His stop-start career in France had only included 190 minutes. “He needed a bit of rhythm,” Guardiola said. Even without being in peak physical condition, Messi showed he can be deadly. “With time, he will improve a lot,” said Mauricio Pochettino, looking forward to what a sharper Messi could accomplish. Defences should beware.
And yet this was a tale of two goalscorers, one understandably overshadowed by the other. Idrissa Gueye nevertheless has twice as many goals for PSG this season as Messi and Neymar do between them. Indeed, there is something decidedly odd that their joint top scorers this season are Kylian Mbappe, Ander Herrera and Gueye.
But victory was forged by the toil of workhorses. They have been improbably prolific this season but while Guardiola hailed PSG’s regista Marco Verratti – “I love this player,” he said – the graft of his less classy sidekicks was more important.
Guardiola reflected on the difficulties of breaking down Pochettino’s team. “They defended deep with seven players,” he said. Indeed, there was one picture of seven outfield players, all camped in their penalty box, while the other three – the star-studded forward line – were far out of sight. Yet the famously indefatigable Gueye had got forward to score from eight yards. A redoubtable defensive midfielder doubled up as an attacking one.
PSG’s inability to win the Champions League, and some of their chastening exits, can be attributed to the sense that they were a star vehicle more than a team; with deluxe attackers spared defensive duties, they looked the antithesis to Pochettino’s Tottenham or Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
PSG v Manchester City player ratings
-
PSG RATINGS: Gianluigi Donnarumma 9 – Always quick off his line to clear danger. He made two good stops in the first half; first to deny Cancelo from the edge of the box, and again to stop Dias heading home at the back post. Made another vital stop with his feet in the second half to deny De Bruyne, and then again from Mahrez, twice. Getty Images -
Achraf Hakimi 8 – Did well to marshall Grealish and made a key header at the back post to deny the former Villa man from getting on the end of a set piece. Grealish was substituted, which tells you all need to know about who won this particular battle. EPA -
Marquinhos 8 – Went about his business quietly and efficiently and made more clearances than any other player in the first half. Looked strong in the air, and was a key player for the home side in Europe once again. Getty Images -
Presnel Kimpembe 7 – Was lucky not to concede a penalty in the first half when it looked as though he brought down Ruben Dias, but his defending was superb at times. Getty Images -
Nuno Mendes 6 – Struggled to contain Riyad Mahrez on occasion but improved in the second half. Looked impressive going forward. Getty Images -
Idrissa Gueye 7 – Superb. Was first to react when Neymar missed with a wild swing and thundered the ball into the top corner to give PSG the lead. It was his first goal in his 24th European tie. Disciplined performance in the heart of the midfield. Reuters -
Marco Verratti 8 – Showed some quick feet in tight areas to get himself out of trouble and showed his experience throughout. Worked tirelessly until he was substituted. EPA -
Ander Herrera 6 – Came close to scoring when Mbappe broke clear and pulled the ball back to him, but Ederson pushed his shot over the bar. Was stretched throughout but grafted well alongside Verratti. EPA -
Lionel Messi 8 – The home supporters made huge cries of anticipation every time he touched the ball. Dropped deep to collect the ball and worked it well from side to side. Scored his 27th goal against an English club in European competition when, after playing a one-two with Mbappe, he curled the ball into Ederson’s top corner. Classic Messi finish. Getty Images -
Kylian Mbappe 9 – Influential throughout. In the first goal, after having reached the byline, he cut the ball back for Neymar, for Gueye to score. The Frenchman was a constant menace, swapping wings and at the centre of everything PSG offered going forward. Played a one-two with Messi for the second. Getty Images -
Neymar 6 – Was perhaps the quieter of PSG’s attacking three but he had a glorious opportunity to double the advantage, but he could only fire wide when through on goal. Getty Images -
SUB: Georginio Wijnaldum (Verratti, 78) N/A – A like-for-like replacement and fresh legs when PSG needed them most, just after Verratti, back from injury, was carded. Getty -
SUB: Danilo (Gueye, 89) N/A – A late addition as Barca looked to close out the game. EPA -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson 5 – Could do absolutely nothing to stop Gueye’s thunderbolt, or Messi’s curler, but he was on hand to palm over from Herrera. AFP -
Kyle Walker 7 – Couldn’t get more than a toe onto Mbappe’s cross to thwart the opening goal, but he then made a vital interception to deny Neymar from Messi’s needle-threaded through ball. Made another timely intervention when Neymar was clean through, doing just enough to put off the Brazilian. Getty Images -
Ruben Dias 7 – Came close to levelling when, after evading his marker, he headed towards goal at the back post. His effort was saved by Donnarumma. Getty Images -
Aymeric Laporte 6 – Was guilty of not closing down Mbappe on the right touchline when the Frenchman crossed for the opening goal. Getty Images -
Joao Cancelo 8 – Fed a teasing ball into the area that was cleared before it reached Bernardo Silva. Picked up a yellow card for scything down Mbappe. He came close with a shot from the edge of the area, but it was well saved by Donnarumma. EPA -
Bernardo Silva 6 – Should have done better when he reacted first to Sterling hitting the bar, but he somehow contrived to hit the bar again from close range with the goal seemingly gaping. EPA -
Rodri 7 – The Spaniard made a key interception to deny Messi when the Argentine threatened to weave his way into the City area. EPA -
Kevin de Bruyne 8 – Played an absolutely delicious ball with the outside of his boot that Sterling headed onto the bar. Came close to scoring himself when linking well with Mahrez, his run into the channel ending with a shot saved by Donnarumma. A constant source of teasing balls into dangerous areas, and needed a no.9 to get on the end of them. Getty Images) -
Riyad Mahrez 8 – Looked a menace on the right hand side. Seemed reluctant to cut in on his left foot and so continually attacked the byline. Made some nice passes into the channels, one of which fashioned a shooting chance for De Bruyne. Came close with two efforts that forced Donnarumma into saves low to his right. Getty Images -
Jack Grealish 5 – A frustrating evening for the England international. He was given little room to manoeuvre by Hakimi, nor little protection from the referee. Was hooked with 23 minutes left on the clock. EPA -
Raheem Sterling 7 – Was unlucky to hit the woodwork with a header and then again when he had the ball fired into his feet when unmarked in the area, but he couldn’t control it. Got the better of Kimpembe early in the second half but his shot couldn’t match his run. Getty Images -
SUB: Phil Foden (Grealish, 69) 5 – His first contribution was a stunning flick on the edge of his area to clear the ball. Getty Images -
SUB: Gabriel Jesus (Sterling, 78) N/A – His introduction seemed too little too late, with City having needed an out and out goalscorer to get on the end of De Bruyne’s balls throughout. EPA
When City won in the Parc des Princes in last season’s semi-finals, they ran four kilometres further than PSG. In the rematch at the Etihad Stadium, the difference between them was five kilometres. On Tuesday, Pochettino’s team ran 1.7 kilometres further than the visitors.
The temptation is to attribute that all to Gueye and Herrera, bursting forward to support the front three, tracking back to protect Verratti, going out to either flank to shield their full-backs. As each is 32, it feels a question of how long each can keep on running. That they have the 2019 Champions League winner Georginio Wijnaldum as an alternative, however, means PSG may have the strength in depth they sometimes lacked in the past.
For City, a first group-stage defeat in three years was a sign in part that they have rarely faced opposition of this calibre so early. “We go home upset because we like only one thing and that is to win,” said Ruben Dias, who captained them. “We are disappointed because we demand everything from ourselves. It was always a 50-50 game and we had our chances.”
In particular, they could look back on the moment when Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva hit the bar in swift succession. Each was an easier opportunity than the one Messi later took. But then, as Guardiola has long said, it can be unfair to compare others to Messi.
