DIRECT. PSG - Manchester City: Marquinhos gives the advantage to Paris

The essential

• After two exploits against Barça and then Bayern, PSG seeks to continue its exemplary journey in the Champions League.

  The task promises to be difficult against Manchester City of Premier League leaders Pep Guardiola.

• In the previous round, the English eliminated Dortmund, thanks to two wins by the same score, 2-1.

  In the eighth, they easily defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach.

  The Mancunian club returns to this stage of the competition five years later.

• It is a reunion between the two formations, five years after the victory of the Citizens at the expense of the Parisians, in the quarter-finals of the 2015-2016 edition.

Follow the game minute by minute

15 ′.

BUUUUUUUUT FROM MARQUINHOS!

Arrived launched at the near post, the Parisian captain places a crossed head which leaves Ederson powerless.

Paris takes the advantage, 1-0!

14 ′.

Paris insists and gets a new corner thanks to Di Maria.

13 ′.

Neymar takes care of it.

At the reception, at the far post, Mbappé finds Florenzi behind, whose strike is blocked.

After a mess, Neymar recovers the ball and his strike, countered, spins above.

12 ′.

After a good job on the left side, Di Maria obtained the first corner of the game.

10 ′.

After a successful tackle in the feet of Gündoğan, Paredes is mown down by Walker and gets the fault, in the central circle.

9 ′.

Well in place defensively, the Parisian block for the moment contains the Mancunian offensives with authority.

5 ′.

Silva has fun in front of Bakker, whom he eliminates from a small bridge.

The Dutchman is not quite back in his game yet.

4 ′.

Left side, Florenzi does not improve by a superb opening of Gueye, in depth.

His cross at the far post is too long and can't find anyone.

4 ′.

Very nice intervention by Marquinhos in front of De Bruyne, launched by Mahrez in the Parisian area.

3 ′.

Di Maria recovers from Rodri's feet and launches Mbappé in counterattack.

The French shifts Neymar, who strikes at the entrance to the area.

His cross attempt, too crushed, does not worry Ederson.

1 ′.

The first offensive is Parisian.

Mbappé lets the ball slip away and the Mancuniens can keep the danger away.

21 hours.

Let's go to the Parc des Princes!

The Parisians kick off.

8:55 p.m.

The players are back on the field.

The meeting is about to begin.

8:50 p.m.

A German whistle.

Felix Brych will referee the match.

He has already refereed the Parisian club four times in his career.

The result: two successes, against Olympiakos (2013) and Chelsea (2016), a draw against Arsenal (2016) and a loss to Real Madrid (2018).

8:40 p.m.

City carbide on the outside.

In their den, the Parisians will have to be wary of Mancuniens very comfortable outside their bases.

Guardiola's men have won their last 17 games away from home in all competitions, including 12 without conceding a goal.

They have been undefeated away for 20 games.

8:35 p.m.

Both teams are warming up.

Full speed ahead 👊 # PSGMCI |

#UCL pic.twitter.com/60BdKo5mad

- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 28, 2021

8:30 p.m.

Neymar praised by Guardiola.

The Brazilian will obviously be eagerly awaited tonight.

The Skyblues coach said all the good things he thought about the Parisian, whom he never had the chance to train at FC Barcelona.

🇧🇷 Brazil's all-time top #UCL scorer 🙌

What makes Neymar great?

pic.twitter.com/8nVLc75f4C

- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2021

8:25 p.m.

Style opposition.

This season, Manchester City have not conceded any goal in the counterattack in the Champions League.

However, this is one of the great strengths of the Parisians, who have improved seven blocks in the competition this season.

8:20 p.m.

The confirmation stat.

This is proof, if necessary, that PSG has reached a milestone in the Champions League.

3 - Paris is only the 3rd French team to reach the C1 semi-finals during 2 consecutive seasons after St Etienne in 1975 and 1976 and Marseille in 1990 and 1991. Challenge.

#PSGMCI pic.twitter.com/qV2bmz3pkF

- OptaJean (@OptaJean) April 28, 2021

8:15 p.m.

The bet is Paris.

Parisians do not start favorites in the minds of bookmakers, neither for the meeting, nor for the qualification.

8:10 p.m.

Mahrez, a swaying heart.

For the Citizens striker, who was born and raised in the Paris region, facing PSG for a place in the Champions League final is an event.

Yet nothing to move him on the road to the European title.

8:05 p.m.

Manchester City's lineup.

No surprise on the part of the Citizens.

Pep Guardiola placed Bernardo Silva in the lead rather than Gabriel Jesus.

Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez are responsible for leading the sides, and Kevin De Bruyne for lighting the attacking game.

In defense, John Stones was preferred to Aymeric Laporte to form the hinge with Rúben Dias.

The starting lineup from Mancun

 : Ederson - Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo - Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne - Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Foden.

THE COMPO FACING PSG ⚡️💪

XI |

Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, De Bruyne (C)

LE BANC |

Steffen, Trafford, Ake, Sterling, Jesus, Aguero, Zinchenko, Laporte, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Garcia

COME ON!

💙

🔷 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/JZcI21pbk4

- Manchester City (@ManCityFra) April 28, 2021

20 hours.

Mbappé's time.

The Paris striker, decisive against Barcelona and Bayern Munich, may be in the form of his life in recent weeks.

Author of 19 goals in his last 14 games in all competitions, he has the opportunity to make history again tonight.

7:55 p.m.

Neymar and Mbappé stronger than Haaland?

The Norwegian Dortmund is currently the competition's top scorer this season with ten goals.

But the two Parisian strikers still potentially have three games ahead of them to overtake him.

Provided, of course, to be surgical this Wednesday evening.

7:50 p.m.

Mauricio Pochettino explains his choice of composition.

While a big battle looms, especially in the midfield, the PSG coach explained that his team was ready to defend in this sector, at the microphone of RMC Sport.

🗣💬 "We have a curtain of four players with Di Maria, Verratti, Gueye and Paredes to defend in the middle"

🔴🔵 Pochettino has planned to give Neymar a little freedom and not to have him defended excessively pic.twitter.com / 4oNDtrHbk5

- RMC Sport (@RMCsport) April 28, 2021

7:45 p.m.

How to beat Manchester City?

The Premier League leader is impressive this season, both in the league and in the Champions League.

For Bacary Sagna, PSG scorer in 2016 with Manchester City, “Paris must prepare to run and suffer”.

The former French international has deciphered the keys to the meeting for us.

7:40 p.m.

A resplendent Park.

On the occasion of this gala evening, the Parc des Princes put on its 31, dressed by the Collectif Ultras Paris.

The 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 puts on a new costume for this evening #UCL

The @Co_Ultras_Paris puts Paris in the spotlight 🔴🔵 # 𝗣𝗦𝗚𝗠𝗖𝗜 pic.twitter.com/y49x4IodpI

- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 28, 2021

READ ALSO

 : PSG-Manchester City: maximum emotion

7:35 p.m.

The composition of PSG.

Parisian coach Mauricio Pochettino has chosen to be cautious.

Uncertain and lacking rhythm, Marquinhos and Abdou Diallo will not both start.

The Argentine technician has chosen to start his captain in central defense but leaves the left side on the sidelines, replaced in the eleven by Mitchel Bakker.

On the other hand, on the right side, it is Alessandro Florenzi who will start the meeting.

Classic, for the rest: a double pivot Gueye-Paredes in the middle of the field, with Marco Verratti a little more advanced on the ground and an attacking trio made up of Di Maria, Neymar and Mbappé.

The eleven of PSG:

Navas - Florenzi, Marquinhos (cap.), Kimpembe, Bakker - Gueye, Paredes - Di Maria, Verratti, Neymar - Mbappé.

Our starting eleven for this semi-final first leg 👇 # PSGMCI |

#UCL pic.twitter.com/iRJ3JVBxLG

- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 28, 2021

7:30 p.m.

Reunion expected.

The two clubs reunite five years after their last clash in the competition.

It was in the quarterfinals, and the Citizens had then eliminated the Parisians.

After his revenge against Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona, ​​PSG can thus hope to hold a news against another of its former executioners on the European scene, against whom it has never won in three confrontations.

🔴 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 🔵

🆚 @ManCity

🏆 @ChampionsLeague

📱 #PSGMCI

⌚️ 9

p.m. 🖼️ Wu Yué - (📸wuyue5 / IG) #WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/w9zDNJzGUC

- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 28, 2021

7:20 p.m.

A huge challenge.

After eliminating FC Barcelona in the round of 16 and then Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, PSG will chase a new feat on Wednesday evening.

In its stadium, the club of the capital receives its alter ego Manchester City, in a duel which promises to be hot.

7.15 p.m.

Good evening and welcome to this semi-final first leg of the Champions League between PSG and Manchester City.

Kick-off scheduled for 9 p.m.