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Paris St-Germain's "Ultras" warned Pep Guardiola and Manchester City astir what awaited them connected a stormy nighttime successful Paris - but they could not person contemplated the standard of the nightmare that unfolded.
"Beaten By The Waves, Paris Never Sunk" was the connection emblazoned connected a elephantine emblem that stretched the magnitude of 1 extremity astatine the Parc des Princes, the centrepiece of a spectacular pre-match show of pyrotechnics and bare hostility designed to rise the sound and the atmosphere.
It contained a brutal information for City and Guardiola, who suffered 1 of the astir chilling, chastening nights of his reign arsenic an undeserved two-goal pb was transformed into a 4-2 decision that flattered the Premier League champions, not PSG.
The mode successful which City collapsed, crumbling successful the look of PSG's thrilling attacking assault, exposed each flaw that has seen Guardiola's broadside descent into a steep diminution this season.
They are disconnected the gait successful defence of their home title, portion they present request a triumph against Club Brugge astatine Etihad Stadium to spell into the Champions League play-offs, their lasting of 25th successful the caller array thing that should service arsenic a root of embarrassment to everyone astatine the club.
Guardiola's Manchester City of aged would person completed the occupation aft going 2 up. Not this version. Not the mentation that has mislaid 8 points from winning positions successful the Champions League and 14 successful the Premier League.
When City mislaid a 3-0 pb successful 16 minutes to gully astatine location to Feyenoord successful November, it was regarded arsenic freak occurance, a cruising squad taking its oculus of the ball.
It was not. This Manchester City is the squad that cannot beryllium trusted.
Further compelling grounds of their existent deficiency of quality and capableness to meltdown came erstwhile they conceded 2 goals successful the past 2 minutes to suffer the derby to Manchester City.
This was different. This was acold much disturbing arsenic PSG showed bosom erstwhile 2-0 down, simply overpowering City who were a airy shadiness of a erstwhile all-conquering team. Even Guardiola was forced to admit: "We could not cope."
It was a pitiful, hardly believable, surrender arsenic City were excessively dilatory done the cardinal areas, ripped isolated connected the flanks and mostly fixed the benignant of broad going implicit they utilized to manus out, arsenic opposed to being the recipient of.
In a PSG barrage, City faced 26 shots - the highest full against them since the Champions League crippled against Real Madrid successful September 2012 erstwhile the Spaniards had 35.
The show of Matheus Nunes - an attacking relation - astatine right-back, with Kyle Walker adjacent to completing a determination to AC Milan, demonstrated the benignant of muddled reasoning that has clouded City and Guardiola's season, a flaw which requires addressing.
He was each astatine sea, arsenic was different substitute Rico Lewis, arsenic PSG rampaged done the wide areas astatine will, with Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and substitute Ousmane Dembele leaving a way of demolition down them.
This nonaccomplishment was, however, a corporate nonaccomplishment of manager and squad arsenic City threatened to autumn apart, past did arsenic they conceded 4 goals for the archetypal clip successful a crippled since they mislaid 5-2 astatine location to Leicester City successful September 2020.
Even aft going 2-0 up, City ne'er looked successful immoderate signifier oregon information to negociate the game. Guardiola regards possession arsenic 9 tenths of football's instrumentality - present they were blameworthy of transgression negligence, with Dembele's extremity 3 minutes aft Haaland's 2nd a large turning point.
Guardiola, arsenic helium stood soaked and stunned connected the sidelines, powerless to forestall a decision which should person been acold much emphatic, whitethorn present realise helium has an adjacent bigger rebuilding occupation connected his hands than helium thought.
The large Kevin De Bruyne looked each of his 33 years, arsenic did Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, some 30, arsenic PSG's vigor successful and retired of possession flagged up each frailty that has haunted City this season. De Bruyne and Kovacic were some replaced, spent, aft 70 minutes.
The statistic marque grim speechmaking for Guardiola, with City having failed to triumph aft taking the pb successful 9 games successful each competitions this play (four losses and 5 draws) the astir of immoderate Premier League nine successful 2024/25.
City person mislaid their past 3 Champions League games distant from home, their second-longest losing streak since 4 successful a enactment betwixt November 2011 and December 2012 nether Roberto Mancini.
And this was the archetypal clip they person mislaid a crippled from 2 goals up since they a 3-2 decision to Brighton successful May 2021.
Guardiola's renewal of City has started with the signings of antiaircraft duo Abdukodir Khusanov, the 20-year-old from Lens and Vitor Reis, 19, from Palmeiras, portion Eintracht Frankfurt guardant Omar Marmoush is connected the way.
On this evidence, the rebuild should not extremity determination due to the fact that City looked anemic successful the wide antiaircraft areas, a occupation exacerbated by the departure of the seasoned Walker, and laboured successful cardinal midfield, a section successful wide request of refreshment.
Guardiola was magnanimous successful decision against his aged person and Barcelona cohort Luis Enrique, saying: "PSG were amended than us. We could not marque the passes, header with the accelerated transitions.
"The array is fair, we each person points, nary statement - PSG person played amended and not won, contiguous they did. To support we person to play, we could not. Give recognition to PSG.
"We tried to support shot with Ilkay Gundogan, James McAtee and Jack Grealish but couldn't. Everything happens successful the mediate wherever you power game, they could, we could not. PSG players determination with a batch of consciousness attacking & defending - bully collective.
"We could not cope, but erstwhile 1 squad is better, it is not a occupation to judge it. We present hole for a pugnacious crippled against Chelsea [in the Premier League connected Saturday] and past last with Brugge."
Brugge beryllium successful 20th spot successful the Champions League table. City should beryllium favourites, but specified is their reduced level of show and their inclination to ace nether unit - and this is present a high-pressure concern - this is nary longer a warrant for Guardiola's team.
Events connected a crackling, emotional, rain-lashed nighttime successful Paris near them successful Champions League peril.
What was unthinkable astatine the commencement of the play volition present beryllium troubling the thoughts of a manager and squad successful information of elimination earlier the past 16.
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