Tag: UEFA Champions League

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BUNDESLIGA: DORTMUND SEALS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOT WITH SIXTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the Champions League for next season as Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt scored in a 3-1 win at Mainz on Sunday.

Three days after routing Leipzig 4-1 to win the German Cup final, Dortmund swept aside Mainz in the league.

Guerreiro and captain Reus hit first-half goals before Germany winger Brandt made sure of the three points with a late effort.

Mainz striker Robin Quaison claimed his 30th Bundesliga goal by netting a 90th-minute penalty.

Qualifying for Europe caps a remarkable turnaround by Dortmund in the last six weeks.

They were fifth and seven points from the Champions League places after losing 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt in early April.

Dortmund have since won all six league games to guarantee a place next season in the group stages of the Champions League.

Dortmund’s purple patch has extended to the German Cup, winning Thursday’s final after Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland both scored twice in Berlin. Qualifying for Europe also reduces the chance of star striker Haaland leaving at the end of the season. The 20-year-old has made no secret of the fact he wants Champions League football and his agent Mino Raiola has recently fuelled speculation the Norwegian could leave.

Haaland has a contract until 2024, but there is reportedly a release clause which becomes active in 2022.

Dortmund are adamant he is staying, with sports director Michael Zorc insisting Haaland “will play for us next season” before kick-off Sunday.

In their previous home game, Mainz pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Bayern Munich but Dortmund allowed no such repeat.

Dortmund took the lead when Guerreiro unleashed an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area on 23 minutes.

The visitors kept up the pressure and Dortmund had appeals for a handball turned down when a Reus flick caught the hand of Mainz defender Alexander Hack.

Reus got on the scoresheet when Sancho ghosted past defenders and squared the ball for his captain to tap home three minutes from the break.

There was a ten-minute delay to the second-half after a storm drenched the Mainz pitch, but Dortmund picked up where they left off.

Just after coming on, Brandt fired home having combined with Haaland after the pair opened up the Mainz defence ten minutes from the whistle.

There was still time for Quaison to put away his 30th Bundesliga goal from the penalty spot to become his club’s all-time top scorer in Germany’s top flight.

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WEMBLEY PRIMED TO REPLACE ISTANBUL FOR ALL ENGLISH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

UEFA is coming under growing pressure to strip Istanbul of hosting rights for the Champions League final for the second season running – and hand its showpiece fixture to Wembley to accommodate the two English finalists.

The British government is reported to be engaged in “delicate negotiations” with UEFA to move the game, given that Turkey on the UK’s red list for traveling to countries worst hit by Covid-19, making it all but impossible for British fans to attend.

While switching the Chelsea-Manchester City showdown would be the logical decision with Turkey in the throes of a national lockdown scheduled to last until May 17, it’s a hugely tough ask for UEFA who were forced last year to move the latter stages of the competition to Lisbon because of the pandemic and would be reluctant to let Istanbul down again.

Among the other factors involved is that compensation would almost certainly have to be paid to the Turkish organisers while Wembley has already been handed eight games of the European Championship across June and July.

Then there is the fact that another date would have to be found for the May 29 Championship playoff final to determine promotion to the Premier League, one of the biggest games in the English calendar and viewed as the single most important fixture from a financial standpoint.

Conversely, if UEFA sticks with Istanbul, all the players involved would be required to enter quarantine on their return from Turkey, unless exemptions were granted, which would impact their preparations for the Euros.

According to the latest UK government regulations red-list countries should only be visited “in the most extreme of circumstances”.

“We are very open to hosting the final but it is ultimately a decision for UEFA,” British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. “The UK has already got a successful track record of football matches with spectators, so we are well placed to do it.

“Given there are two English clubs in that final, we look forward to what they have to say.”

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HAZARD APOLOGISES TO REAL MADRID FANS FOR JOKING WITH CHELSEA PLAYERS AFTER UCL EXIT

Eden Hazard has apologised to Real Madrid supporters after criticism aimed his way following the defeat to Chelsea FC in the Champions League semi-final.

Los Blancos headed to Stamford Bridge after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but were easily beaten 2-0 by the Blues, who could realistically have doubled their tally on the night.

Hazard, meanwhile, was as ineffective as most of the rest of his team-mates, so drew the ire of some for his lacklustre showing against his old side – but it was his post-match antics which upset others.

After full time he was pictured talking and joking with former team-mates, with a vocal few on social media calling for him to be sold and the Spanish media going all-in on their disappointment of the Belgian, with TV show El Chiringuito front and centre among them.

One clip circulating on social media showed presenter Josep Pedrerol venting at Hazard – complete with damning background music and sighs of seriousness before he began talking – suggesting that he was “laughing” at Real Madrid supporters and didn’t deserve to continue at the club, comparing his perceived lack of commitment to the cause to that of Gareth Bale.

Hazard himself has responded with a post on his Instagram story, writing a short message of apology.

“I am sorry. I have read lots of opinions about me today and it was not my intention to offend any Real Madrid fans,” Hazard wrote.

“It has always been my dream to play for Real Madrid and I came here to win. The season is not over and together we must battle for La Liga! Hala Madrid!”

After their exit from Europe, Real are now in a three-way battle for the title in Spain.

They sit second, two points behind city rivals Atletico Madrid and level on points with third-place Barcelona. Sevilla are four points back, with their own title hopes hit by a defeat last time out.

All four clubs have four matches remaining, with no further cup or Continental distractions for any of them.

Barcelona are at home to Atletico on Saturday afternoon in one pivotal clash, before Real host Sevilla on Sunday night in another.

Hazard has made just seven league starts this season due to several injuries, scoring twice and claiming one assist.

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VILLA PARK OFFERED AS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL VENUE ALTERNATE

Aston Villa have reportedly offered to host the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea amid ongoing doubts about the suitability of the match being played in Turkey.

The all-Premier League affair is currently scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 29th at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.

Turkey is currently under lockdown following a surge in Covid-19 cases.

With City and Chelsea now the confirmed finalists, supporter groups, UK MPs and health experts are among those calling for the high-profile fixture to be switched to England.

Wembley is already committed to hosting the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on May 29th, but Villa Park in Birmingham has emerged as an alternative.

UEFA has insisted the venue will not change and is due to announce further details on ticketing, travel and capacity for the game on Friday.

The PA news agency understands at this stage only a request from the Turkish government would prompt the final to be hosted elsewhere.

Switching the game to England would pose a number of logistical issues, including visitors – such as delegates from national associations – being required to self-isolate for up to 10 days upon arrival.

UEFA would also have to inspect and approve the replacement stadium.

Villa fuelled rumours earlier on Thursday by tweeting an aerial footage of their ground, accompanied by a heart emoji.

PA has approached the West Midlands club for comment.
Chelsea booked their spot in the final on Wednesday by overcoming Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate on Wednesday, while City defeated Paris St Germain the previous evening, winning 4-1 over two legs.

The meeting of the two Premier League rivals could be the second of two all-English European finals as Manchester United and Arsenal are in Europa League semi-final action on Thursday evening.

United travel to Roma holding a resounding 6-2 first-leg lead, while the Gunners must overturn a 2-1 deficit at home to Spanish side Villarreal.

The Europa League final will be staged in Gdansk, Poland on Wednesday, May 26th.

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Chelsea beat Madrid to set up all-English Champions League final vs Man City

Chelsea even made record 13-time European Cup champion Real Madrid look ordinary as goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount sealed a 2-0 victory that ousted Madrid 3-1 on aggregate.

Chelsea’s decision to fire a club legend suddenly doesn’t seem so callous after all.

While Frank Lampard’s name has hardly been forgotten by the Chelsea fans there were chants outside Stamford Bridge before kickoff on Wednesday new manager Thomas Tuchel is quickly creating his own legacy after leading the London club into the Champions League final against Manchester City.

Chelsea even made record 13-time European Cup champion Real Madrid look ordinary as goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount sealed a 2-0 victory that ousted Madrid 3-1 on aggregate.

Perhaps the stragglers leaving the bars near Stamford Bridge could hear the roar Tuchel let out on the field inside the empty stadium long after his players had departed the field. It will certainly have been heard in the Chelsea boardroom by the directors whose decision to dismiss Lampard in January and hire Tuchel now seems vindicated.

“I am very grateful and thankful to have this opportunity,” said Tuchel, who’d been dismissed by Paris Saint-Germain in December despite leading the French club to last year’s Champions League final. “You can never be ahead of plan as a manager and as a player — it does not exist.”

Just like when owner Roman Abramovich made mid-season managerial changes in the 2007-08 and 2011-12 seasons, Chelsea will end the campaign by contesting the biggest game in European football. And by the end of the month two Champions League trophies could be at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea the first club to reach the men’s and women’s finals in the same season.

Even though the men’s showpiece will be an all-English encounter on May 29, the Premier League rivals will have to fly four hours to play the UEFA showpiece in Istanbul, which is currently in a coronavirus lockdown. While City has never lifted the European Cup, Chelsea’s only triumph came in 2012 when the 22-year-old Mount was in the youth system.

“It’s going to be a stunning game,” Mount said.

Unlike last season’s final — when Tuchel’s PSG lost to Bayern Munich — fans are set to be allowed in. Chelsea supporters have yet to see Tuchel managing their team in the flesh due to England’s ongoing coronavirus restrictions. But they can’t deny the impact he has made.

Chelsea was five points outside the four Champions League qualification places when he was hired, but heads into the final four games of the Premier League season in fourth place with a three-point cushion. There’s a chance to pick up a trophy before the trip to Turkey, too, with an FA Cup final against Leicester on May 15 after beating City in the semifinals.

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is left to focus on trying on wiping out Atletico Madrid’s two-point lead in Spain to win La Liga, rather than adding to the three Champions League titles he won from 2016 to 2018.

“I think we tried, but the truth is today Chelsea were superior and we have to congratulate them,” Zidane said. “It was complicated throughout the match because they had many chances to score more goals and they deserved their victory.”

After conceding a costly away goal last week, Madrid lacked the attacking nous or threat to turn this semifinal around as Chelsea kept an 18th clean sheet in 24 games under Tuchel.

Karim Benzema was denied by the first in a series of fine saves by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy before Werner’s opener but the visitors were sluggish, lacking a creative spark from Eden Hazard on an ineffective return to his former home.

Even in a debut season of misfortune, not even Werner could miss in the 28th minute when presented with an unguarded net to head into from close range after Kai Havertz had lobbed former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and hit the crossbar.

“I had to wait a long time for the ball coming down — it felt like hours,” Werner said.

The chants of “Timo” from the substitutes’ bench reflected the delight from his teammates that the Germany forward had scored only his fourth goal in 35 games for Chelsea. For all the scrutiny faced, though, Werner has still managed 12 goals and 10 assists since last year costing Chelsea up to $68 million.

For all Chelsea’s threat, Madrid only needed to score once to force the second leg into extra time. When the second half opened with Havertz heading against the crossbar and having a low shot saved it looked like the misses could prove costly.

“Keep on pushing guys,” Tuchel urged from the sideline.

And so they did, helped by the arrival of Christian Pulisic from the bench as Werner’s replacement to spark the second goal. The American headed to N’Golo Kante and received the ball back to feed Mount, who lifted a shot over Courtois in the 85th.

“I have to go on and do my bit,” Pulisic sad, “be creative and try to finish the game off strong and luckily I was able to do that.”

Not that Pulisic was satisfied waiting more than an hour to enter the game.

“Very frustrated — I wanted to play from the beginning, as I always do,” said the forward signed in 2019 from Borussia Dortmund. I’ve had to continue to prove myself over and over again. … Nothing can stop me, really.”

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JIM BEGLIN APOLOGISES FOR “RACIAL STEREOTYPE” DURING DI MARIA INCIDENT IN MANCITY VS PSG GAME

Jim Beglin has issued an apology for using “a racial stereotype” in commentary during Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final win over Paris Saint-Germain. The former Liverpool defender was on co-commentary duty for American broadcaster CBS for Tuesday night’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Two goals from Riyad Mahrez sent City into their first Champions League final as a 2-0 win on the night gave Pep Guardiola’s side a 4-1 victory on aggregate.

It was a dominant performance for City who kept Neymar quiet throughout and ensured goalkeeper Ederson did not face a single shot on target.

While the night was one of celebration for City, the second half was also notable for the number of incidents, with referee Bjorn Kuipers handing out six yellows and one red card in a fractious match.

That red was issued to PSG attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria, who lashed out at Fernandinho while trying to retrieve the ball for a throw-in.

The former Manchester United man kicked the Brazilian in the shin on the touchline and was sent off in the 69th minute as the discipline of Mauricio Pochettino’s side slipped.

Describing the incident on commentary, Beglin said, “It’s that Latino temperament.”

Social media immediately lit up with people questioning his comments and the 57-year-old quickly apologised on air.

“When Di Maria was sent off, I described it by using the word Latino,” he said. “For anybody that’s taken offense, I do apologise, sincerely apologise.”

After the match had finished, Beglin took to Twitter to make a full apology.

“I apologise for my culturally insensitive remarks during the Champions League tie between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain,” he wrote.

“I wrongly used a racial stereotype. This was inappropriate and unacceptable. Words have a strong impact, and I fully understand the severity of what I said when Angel Di Maria was sent off.

I will learn from this and be better moving forward.”

CBS has not yet commented on Beglin’s remarks.

In his post-match interview with BT Sport, Mahrez commented on PSG’s loss of discipline in the second half.

“It was a very good game,” he said.

“We didn’t start well again. We didn’t have a good first half but we got the goal and we were more comfortable.

“We played well in the second half and we could have scored more. They lost their nerve and started to kick us and after the red card it was more comfortable.”

As well as Di Maria’s red card, Ander Herrera, Marco Verratti, Presnel Kimpembe and substitute Danilo were all booked for the away side.

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PSG players claim referee swore at them in Man City defeat

French champions PSG were left angered by the referee, who sent off PSG’s Angel Di Maria in the 69th minute for an off-the-ball stamp on Fernandinho.

Paris St Germain’s Leandro Paredes was verbally abused by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers during Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg loss to Manchester City, his team mate Ander Herrera has claimed.

City reached the final of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium to secure a 4-1 aggregate win.

French champions PSG were left angered by the referee, who sent off PSG’s Angel Di Maria in the 69th minute for an off-the-ball stamp on Fernandinho.

“We talk about respect towards referees,” midfielder Herrera told French multimedia outlet RMC Sport, while revealing that the official had sworn at Paredes. “If we say that, we get a three or four-match ban.”

Herrera’s team mate Marco Verratti said in his post-match interview that he too was abused by the official.

PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters he believed his players and that European soccer’s governing body UEFA could investigate the incident.”I didn’t hear anything from the touchline, if something is there and is how they explained, maybe UEFA will investigate the situation,” Pochettino said.

“But now that’s not an excuse I can put in front of you… the most important thing is we’re not in the final and that’s why we feel really sad.”

Meanwhile, CBS colour commentator Jim Beglin apologised for attributing Argentine Di Maria’s dismissal during the game to his “Latino temperament.”

“I apologise for my culturally insensitive remarks… I wrongly used a racial stereotype. This was inappropriate and unacceptable,” Beglin tweeted.”Words have a strong impact and I fully understand the severity of what I said when Di Maria was sent off. I’ll learn from this and be better moving forward.”

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Riyad Mahrez showing up when Manchester City need him most

Algerian is flying under the radar, wrecking defences like he did against PSG in the second leg of the semis

A Manchester City break came in the 62nd minute. It wasn’t the quickest counterattack, as a good number of Paris Saint Germain players tracked back at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Phil Foden carried the ball down the left, squaring to Kevin De Bruyne under pressure. The Belgian returned it to Foden who was well on his way into the PSG box after a moment. On the other side of the pitch, Riyad Mahrez darted forward unmarked by anybody in a Parisian jersey. Once Foden drilled a low cross Mahrez was there, happily slotting home his and City’s second in the Champions League second leg semi-final. City would go on to win 4-1 on aggregate.

In many ways, that undetected run represents Mahrez’s career. A crafty left-footer, blessed with speed and the ability to dribble at break-neck pace, tends to fly under the radar – especially in a star-studded line-up. Thriving in his low-key role, it’s helped him become one of the most devastating players in front of goal.

The 30-year-old France-born Algerian scored three goals over the two semi-final legs for his club. And it helped take City to its first ever Champions League final.

Low-profile match winner

When Mahrez was at Leicester City, his star was overshadowed by Jamie Vardy. Even in that historic 2015-16 Premier League winning season, where Mahrez scored 17 times and made 11 assists, Vardy’s 24 goals – including a Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches – eclipsed the Algerian.

At Manchester City, who dished out GBP 60 million to secure his services – making him then the most expensive African footballer – Mahrez is still not the first name that comes to mind. There is De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero (for whom this is the final season), and even the new star Foden.
Under the radar, yet still a vital cog in his side. That’s also how he was first noticed by the bigger names in Europe.

Unspectacular Beginnings

Born in Sarcelles, a poor commune in Northern Paris, to an Algerian father and Moroccan mother, Mahrez was a self-taught street footballer.

The silky skills though weren’t enough for him, at 18, to find a place in fourth division team Quimper. What he had in skill, for the scouts, was not enough for what he lacked in physicality. The team’s manager eventually had his way and forced the directors to sign the player.

A few years later, while playing in the French Ligue 2 with Le Havre, he first came into contact with then Championship club (second division) Leicester City – who he first thought was a rugby team. Incidentally, the English scouts had not travelled to France to look at him, but were rather there to spy on his teammate Ryan Mendes. But Mahrez captured their imagination.

“Riyad was a bit raw but he had a great touch,” Steve Walsh, the club’s head of recruitment told the Daily Mail. “He could kill the ball dead and go past people. I liked his positivity. Some of his decision-making wasn’t that great and defensively he wasn’t the best, but you could see that he had real talent.”

He moved to Leicester in early 2014 following a GBP 450,000 transfer, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League before moving to Manchester City in 2018.

Unwavering self-belief

Slight frame notwithstanding, his flair, eye for goal and a killer pass could not be undervalued. Nor could his spirit be broken.

“How did I prove them wrong? Just with my ability, my quality,” he described his mentality to Four-Four Two. “They would say those things, then we’d play a game, I’d play well and they’d change their opinion. I used to play a lot in (Paris) and it helped me.”

He scored 17 goals, including a hat-trick against Swansea City to help the Foxes win the Premier League title. This season he’s scored 15 goals in all competitions, including four in the Champions League.

Improved defensive skills

Under Nigel Pearson, who managed Leicester while they were in the English Championship, he gained confidence and experience. Under Claudio Ranieri, he was allowed to use his fleet-footed skills at will to wreak havoc of defences.
Under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he’s become aware of his defensive role. In the second leg against PSG, he made four tackles and interceptions in the first half alone.

Raking up the titles

So far Mahrez has won three Premier League titles (including in the on-going season). He helped Algeria win the 2019 African Cup of Nations title, its first since 1990 and second overall.

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Manchester City ousts PSG to reach first Champions League final

Riyad Mahrez has scored twice to complete Manchester City’s journey to a first Champions League final with a 2-0 victory eliminating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on aggregate.

By the time Riyad Mahrez completed the counterattack that sealed Manchester City’s spot in a first Champions League final, it looked so effortless overcoming a Paris Saint-Germain lineup that lost its cool and composure.

“Then they lost their nerve and started to kick us and it was good,” Mahrez said.

It was the Paris-born winger who netted twice before PSG had Angel Di Maria sent off. City won 2-0 to eliminate last season’s finalists 4-1 on aggregate on Tuesday.

“They had the red card,” Mahrez said, “and after, it was more comfortable for us.”

It’s been anything but comfortable for City getting a shot at lifting European football’s top prize for the first time despite 13 years of lavish investment. Even reaching this semifinal required a fight in court to overturn a ban from this season’s Champions League for breaching UEFA’s financial rules.

And it’s only two weeks since the Abu Dhabi-owned team exposed itself to fresh sanctions for joining a brief, ill-fated bid to split to help form a breakaway European Super League.

Now City could win the competition it tried to leave in what could be an all-English final on May 29 in Istanbul if Chelsea overcomes Real Madrid on Wednesday. Chelsea and Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

“Of course, we’ve invested money in the last decade since Sheikh Mansour took over the club, but it’s not just about this,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “If you want to think it’s just about money, it’s OK. But there is a lot of incredible things behind the scenes.”

It’s not just City that’s endured frustration in its quest to win the biggest prize in European football. Guardiola, a Champions League winner as Barcelona coach in 2009 and 2011, has been waiting a decade to return to the final. He fell short three times with Bayern Munich and has taken until his fifth season at City to even reach the semifinals.

“To reach the Champions league final is so difficult,” Guardiola said. “It’s the toughest one, but we did it.”

City is now accustomed to success _ sitting on the brink of its third Premier League title in four seasons after already collecting the League Cup last month. But its only continental title came with the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970.

“This club needed the final, these players needed the final,” City defender Kyle Walker said. “For these players to not be in a Champions League final is a disappointment every year.”

PSG missed out on a second shot at lifting a first European Cup after losing last season’s final to Bayern Munich, and Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup is even struggling to defend the French title.

“Disappointed and very sad,” said Pochettino, who lost the 2019 Champions League final as Tottenham manager. “We played well but we didn’t have the luck that you need in football.”

And in the clash of European football’s Gulf-funded big-spenders, it was the Qatari visitors from Paris on the backfoot quickly in Manchester.

After scoring City’s winner in Paris last week, Mahrez took only 11 minutes to score in the second leg. The move began with a long ball by defender Oleksandr Zinchenko running onto a long ball from goalkeeper Ederson.

“It’s something we work on all the time,” Mahrez said, “and today it worked good.”

Zinchenko passed to Kevin De Bruyne, whose shot was blocked by Keylor Navas but Mahrez was alert to the rebound to put the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs on a field covered in the remnants of a spring hailstorm.

Mauro Icardi was proving ineffective in a PSG attack shorn of Kylian Mbappe, who wasn’t fit enough to start and never entrusted with being deployed from the bench.

There were headers over from Marquinhos and Neymar but PSG could find no way past a defense that had Ruben Dias proving such a robust barrier.

The PSG back-line was easier to breach, which happened again in the 63rd minute. There was a surging run down the left flank by Phil Foden before a combination with De Bruyne and a cross delivered for Mahrez to sweep into the net.

“We fought to the end,” PSG midfielder Marco Verratti said. “When you play against big teams, it’s impossible to attack for 90 minutes without suffering. We have to accept that.”

The frustrations of PSG were clear, even without any crowd to create any intimidating atmosphere. The visitors finished the game with 10 men just like in the first leg after Di Maria was sent off with 20 minutes to go for kicking at Fernandinho.

PSG turned on the referee, with midfielder Ander Herrera in a post-match interview accusing Bjorn Kuipers of directing an expletive at PSG teammate Leandro Paredes. It wasn’t heard by Pochettino.

“Maybe UEFA will investigate the situation,“ he said. “But now I think that is not an excuse.”

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“We Lost The Battle But The War Continues” – Neymar

Brazilian star Neymar has expressed confidence that PSG are still very much in the semi-final tie against Manchester City despite suffering a home defeat in the first-leg at home.

City seized control of the last four clash thanks to Wednesday’s 2-1 victory in Paris.

PSG captain Marquinhos opened the scoring in the 15th minute as last season’s runners-up outplayed City in the opening half in the French capital.

But Kevin De Bruyne’s awkward cross-cum-shot found the back of the net just past the hour-mark and Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick put City ahead seven minutes later.

Things went from bad to worse for PSG in the 77th minute after Idrissa Gueye was sent off.

As PSG face an uphill task ahead of their return leg in Manchester, Neymar reacted to the result via social media.

“We lost the battle but the war continues,” Neymar wrote on his verified Twitter handle. “I believe in my team.

“I believe that we can be better than we were. ALLEZ PARIS. One per cent chance 99 per cent faith.”

Neymar has not scored in his last six games in the knockout stages of the Champions League, with his last goal outside the group stage coming against Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20.

The midweek collapse was the first time PSG suffered Champions League defeat when leading at half-time since 2001 – against Deportivo La Coruna.

PSG are winless in their four European games against City (D2 L2), only facing Juventus (eight) on more occasions without ever winning in their history.