City were playing at home at the Etihad Stadium for the first time since being found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over almost a decade that have left them facing the prospect of severe sanctions. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-2 victory away to embattled Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, while Bradley Barcola hit his first Liverpool goals with a hat-trick in a 6-3 win over LASK in Austria. Elsewhere on a prolific night of European action, Real Madrid came from 3-1 down to beat Roma 4-3 and Aston Villa demolished Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park.
That verdict appeared to be hanging over the City team as PSG raced into a three-goal lead just past the half-hour mark, with Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha all netting for the French side. With former boss Pep Guardiola watching on, City produced a second-half fightback as Erling Haaland scored twice to take him to four Champions League goals already this season. They face Barcelona next week.
Back-to-back title-holders PSG have won both Champions League games this season, scoring 10 goals in the process. Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas also netted for Andoni Iraola’s side, who were 4-0 ahead at one point before LASK scored three times in the space of 15 second-half minutes through Robert Ljubicic and Florian Flecker’s brace. There was a dramatic denouement in Italy, where a Marten de Roon goal and a Donyell Malen brace had Roma 3-1 up against Real Madrid inside the final 10 minutes.
“Obviously I think he has to enjoy this because to score a hat-trick in the Champions League is always very difficult,” said Iraola of France forward Barcola.
