Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique admitted his side were fortunate to secure a 4-2 victory over Manchester City in their Champions League clash, despite maintaining a perfect record in defence of their European title.
The French champions dominated the opening period at the Etihad Stadium, establishing a commanding 3-0 advantage before halftime. Desire Doue opened the scoring, followed by strikes from Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha, as PSG delivered a near-flawless first-half performance.
However, the home side mounted a fierce comeback after the interval. Erling Haaland found the net twice, and City created numerous opportunities, hitting the frame of the goal on two occasions and being denied by an exceptional goalline clearance from Nuno Mendes.
Speaking after the match, Luis Enrique acknowledged the precarious nature of the victory. "We could have lost this match if they scored the chances that they created," the Spanish tactician said. "I think it was a very nice match, but the way they play, it's amazing. We like to play these kind of matches."
Maghnes Akliouche temporarily restored PSG's three-goal cushion in the second period, though Ferran Torres later squandered a penalty opportunity for the visitors. "We try to win every single match. We try to score. We don't stop if we score one or two goals," Luis Enrique added. "It's very nice to feel that but I have to repeat, today we were lucky because in the second half we could have conceded more goals."
The defeat marked City's first of the campaign under new boss Enzo Maresca, who had previously enjoyed a flawless start with eight consecutive victories across all competitions. The match came shortly after City were found guilty of numerous financial regulation breaches between 2009 and 2018.
Pep Guardiola, who captured 20 trophies during his decade-long tenure at the club, returned to the Etihad Stadium to show his support despite the controversies surrounding the club. Maresca reflected on the learning experience: "From tonight we can learn many things. Even if we concede two goals in two minutes against the best team in Europe, we need to continue."
The victory propelled PSG to the summit of the Champions League standings after two matches, while City dropped to 17th position in the table.
