PSG Comeback Floors Man City As Arsenal Near Champions League Last 16

AFP/APP

Paris: Paris Saint-Germain shocked Manchester City with a dramatic 4-2 comeback win, pushing the English side to the brink of Champions League elimination. Meanwhile, Arsenal moved one step closer to securing a spot in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.

The match at the Parc des Princes saw PSG overcome a two-goal deficit after early second-half strikes from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland had put City in control. However, Ousmane Dembele’s quick response and Bradley Barcola’s equalizer on the hour mark turned the tide in PSG’s favor.

Joao Neves put PSG ahead with a diving header, and Goncalo Ramos sealed the victory with a late goal, lifting PSG from 26th to 22nd in the standings and knocking City out of the qualifying spots for the last 16. City now face a crucial must-win game against Club Brugge in their final group match.

PSG coach Luis Enrique expressed disbelief at the turnaround, saying, “We started the second half in the worst way possible, but at the same time this team believes in itself.” Guardiola, accepting the defeat, stated, “We have to win the last game. Hopefully, we can qualify. If not, we don’t deserve it.”

In other Champions League action, holders Real Madrid eased to a 5-1 victory over Red Bull Salzburg, keeping their hopes alive for a top-eight finish. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich suffered a blow to their qualification chances after a 3-0 loss to Feyenoord.

Arsenal, on the verge of advancing to the knockout stage, earned a dominant 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb with goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard. The Gunners, currently third in the standings, are three points ahead of ninth-placed Aston Villa and will look to secure qualification with a strong finish to the group phase.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed confidence, saying, “We’re very close to achieving the goal we had before the group stage started