It was a foregone conclusion that first place in Group A of the UEFA Champions League would come down to Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, two of the favorites to win the tournament. Their showdown in the penultimate match of the group stage will likely decide the group.
Defending Premier League champion Manchester City will host the match carrying a one-point lead over PSG in the group standings. A victory would seal first place and a draw would leave it in good shape heading into the final matchday. PSG will need to duplicate its performance in their September meeting when the French side beat Man City 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
A loss for either team would force it to sweat out qualification if third-place Club Brugge wins its match.
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It’s some coincidence that PSG and its manager Mauricio Pochettino travel to Manchester just as rumors are heating up linking him to the permanent manager position at Manchester United. He had to answer several questions on the topic during his pregame news conference and they weren’t all that convincing.
Sporting News will be following Manchester City vs. PSG live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they’re available.
Group A standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Manchester City | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 7 | +8 |
| 2. Paris Saint-Germain | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| 3. Club Brugge | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | -6 |
| 4. RB Leipzig (E) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 13 | -5 |
Manchester City vs. PSG live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Manchester City | 0 | — | — |
| PSG | 0 | — | — |
Goals:
(All times Eastern)
Halftime: Manchester City 0, PSG 0
Halftime: This match has gone to script so far and Manchester City will be disappointed not to come away with a goal from that first half. The home team definitely created more with its possession, but solid defending by PSG kept them at bay. PSG is always lurking, however. The visitors look like they can find a goal at any moment on the break and Man City seems vulnerable in the back. Meanwhile, with RB Leipzig pummeling Club Brugge 4-0, both teams will be secure of advancing to the knockouts. It’s down to which of the two giants will finish in first place.
43rd min.: It’s a 3-on-2 break for PSG and it’s Kylian Mbappe who takes the final shot but he tries the curler to the far corner and it’s off the mark. Should’ve probably done better there.
33rd min.: Man City with three straight looks at goal! First a Bernardo Silva cross in the box is deflected right to goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Moments later, a Joao Cancelo cross deflects to Gundogan who hits the post. Then another curling Riyad Mahrez shot is saved for a corner by Navas.
28th min.: Good play from Man City and Marquinhos blocks a Zinchenko first-time shot in the box. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig goes 3-0 up at Club Brugge. PSG and Man City should go through to the knockouts today.
How many blocked shots is that by PSG. These guys need helmets.
— Janusz Michallik (@JanuszMichallik) November 24, 2021
25th min.: PSG is seeing more of the ball, but Man City is more purposeful with it. Riyad Mahrez seems up for it and Rodri is very much involved.
18th min.: Another last-ditch clearance by PSG! This time it’s Achraf Hakimi heading away for a corner on a patented curler from Riyad Mahrez.
17th min.: Good attack by PSG that ended with a Lionel Messi shot, but it’s foiled by an offside. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig is now up 2-0 on Brugge.
12th min.: Update from the other match — RB Leipzig takes the 1-0 lead on Club Brugge. If that result holds, both Man City and PSG are through regardless of the result.
9th min.: The match is being played at a measured pace, obviously controlled by Man City in possession.
5th min.: Early chance! After a free kick earned by Riyad Mahrez wide right, Rodri’s header in the box is cleared off the goal line by Presnel Kimpembe.
1st min.: The match is underway. We’ll also keep an eye on Brugge-RB Leipzig given the impact on the Group A standings.
2:43 p.m.: Pic from warmups:
2:10 p.m.: Here’s the story on Phil Foden’s absence:
1:12 p.m.: Fans in Manchester are coming out for this one:
12:45 p.m.: Pretend you’re at the Etihad Stadium for a moment:
Manchester City vs. PSG lineups
It’s somewhat of a surprise lineup after manager Pep Guardiola previously indicated that a few players were carry knocks. Phil Foden is not in the squad, Kevin De Bruyne (COVID-19) was already out for Manchester City, while Jack Grealish missed training on Tuesday and didn’t recover. Ferran Torres is still a long-term injury absence.
Manchester City starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 31-Ederson-GK — 27-Joao Cancelo, 3-Ruben Dias, 5-John Stones, 2-Kyle Walker — 11-Oleksandr Zinchenko, 16-Rodri, 8-Ilkay Gundogan (capt.) — 20-Bernardo Silva, 7-Raheem Sterling, 26-Riyad Mahrez
Manchester City subs (8): 13-Zack Steffen-GK, 33-Scott Carson-GK, 6-Nathan Ake, 14-Aymeric Laporte, 80-Cole Palmer, 87-James McAtee, 25-Fernandinho, 9-Gabriel Jesus
According to L’Equipe and Canal Plus, midfielders Marco Verratti (quad) and Georginio Wijnaldum (knee) were unavailable to start for PSG after picking up injuries in Tuesday’s training session. But the big news is that summer signing Sergio Ramos will be in a PSG matchday squad for the first time since joining the French club. The 35-year-old center back won’t start, but he could be a late sub who helps to close out a result.
PSG starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 1-Keylor Navas-GK — 25-Nuno Mendes, 3-Presnel Kimpembe, 5-Marquinhos (capt.), 2-Achraf Hakimi — 21-Ander Herrera, 27-Idrissa Gueye, 8-Leandro Paredes — 10-Neymar Jr., 7-Kylian Mbappe, 30-Lionel Messi
PSG subs (12): 50-Giuanluigi Donnarumma-GK, 40-Denis Franchi-GK, 4-Sergio Ramos, 22-Abdou Diallo, 24-Thilo Kehrer, 17-Colin Dagba, 28-Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, 15-Danilo, 6-Marco Verratti, 18-Georginio Wijnaldum, 11-Angel Di Maria, 9-Mauro Icardi
MORE: Updated Champions League group standings & schedule
How to watch Manchester City vs. PSG
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 24
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV Channels: Univision, TUDN
- Streaming: fuboTV, Paramount+
The match from a sold-out Etihad Stadium in Manchester will be broadcast live on TV on Univision and TUDN. Both channels are available to be streamed on fuboTV, which is available to new users on a free 7-day trial.
The match will also be available in English for Paramount+ subscribers.
In Canada, the Champions League is available exclusively, live and on-demand, on DAZN. And DAZN offers new customers a 30-day free trial period.