johnny crossan wrote:Anybody read Henry Winter's report in The Times? Supposed to be v good .
here it is
Pep Guardiola’s boldness puts Manchester City on brink of historyParis Saint-Germain 1 Manchester City 2
Henry Winter Times Chief Football Writer
Whatever Manchester City’s players go on to achieve in their careers, they will always have Paris. They will always have the memory of the way they responded with such character and intelligence at Parc des Princes, turning the lights out on Les Étoiles, extinguishing the stars, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, and taking a huge stride towards the Champions League final.
City’s players will always have the memory of the utter belief they held in their inspirational manager, Pep Guardiola, and will always hold, because of the way he again turned the tide in a game, making changes in mood, approach and personnel. They will also remember the bond they had with each other in Paris, their collectivity that ultimately overwhelmed their opponents’ individuality.
City’s fans, tuning in from afar, will always cherish a night in Paris when strong men stood up to be counted, when Rúben Dias demonstrated again why he deserves to be voted player of the year with his defending against Mbappé, a world champion and feared foe who failed even to manage a shot on target. Dias was immense, making tackles, clearances and interceptions and also so measured in his distribution, completing 55 of his 58 passes.
Dias, arguably the best centre back at work in world football today, even took the compliment of a foul from an irritated Neymar, enjoying the delicious irony of being accused of milking the contact by the tumble tot in the No 10 shirt. The assured way Dias closed Mbappé down just before the final whistle said it all. City’s defending was so good in the second half that Kyle Walker comfortably kept pace with Mbappé in a sprint, which few do.
City will always have the Paris picture of Phil Foden, a young prince at Parc des Princes, happily living with such august company, even receiving a respectful nod from Neymar at the end. Foden’s numbers provided graphic evidence of his influence, all of his three shots requiring repelling, all of his three dribbles being successful, recovering possession six times and making two interceptions. That encapsulated City’s togetherness, attackers putting in a defensive shift. All for one, the musketeers from Manchester.
This was a victory rooted in wit and willpower. Even before the break, and trailing to Marquinhos’s header, City became more aggressive, pressing harder, with Ilkay Gundogan getting on the ball more, and then Guardiola showed his supreme in-game management by removing João Cancelo for the more attack-minded Oleksandr Zinchenko. It looked totally understandable, given that Cancelo was on a booking, but he is a good defender. Zinchenko’s insertion showed Guardiola’s boldness, going for it.
And what a game it was. This was the Champions League showing why the concept of a European Super League, lacking history, credibility and sporting jeopardy, was greeted with such public derision and treated with such disdain by players. They want the glory of a competition graced by Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Marco van Basten, Lionel Messi, let alone both Ronaldos. Prestige matters.
Mahrez’s fine strike meant City have now won their last 18 away matches in all competitions, scoring 46 goals and conceding just nine
For those players over at Parc des Princes last night, with neither City nor PSG having ever been crowned kings of Europe, their hunger to achieve such an honour was palpable. This was intense and tight, eyes on the glittering prize on offer in Istanbul on May 29.
PSG edged the first half, buzzed around in swarms, like scooters racing around the Arc de Triomphe, terrorising brave pedestrians, taking no prisoners. Ángel Di María pressed Rodri, Neymar closed down Walker, then Leandro Paredes dispossessed Gundogan. Guardiola, as usual, was living every moment, every touch, every tackle, every incident. “Keep the ball,” he kept instructing his players.
Mauricio Pochettino’s game plan was evident: pressing fast and breaking even quicker. Di María’s sprint into the box was ended by a trademark sliding tackle from Dias, that stretching foot flicking the ball away. Marco Verratti then cut in and passed to Neymar, whose shot was pushed over by Ederson.
The pressure told, and City’s goalkeeper was badly let down by his defenders. Di María swung in a corner, using that left foot to curl it in as Marquinhos made his move. Gundogan failed to react, letting Marquinhos go, and he powered his header past Ederson. Pochettino hardly flickered with emotion, staying in control, knowing City’s quality in the likes of De Bruyne, appreciating the stature of the coach to his left.
Marquinhos is only the third player in Champions League history to score in the quarter-final and semi-final in consecutive seasons
JULIEN POUPERT
City actually edged possession, 52 to 48 per cent, before the break but PSG posed the greater threat, frequently creating opportunities. Neymar was up to some of his old trickery, milking a challenge from De Bruyne to win a free kick. Cancelo ploughed into Mbappé like a runaway tractor, earning that booking. Paredes and Marquinhos threatened with headers.
Di María ghosted between Foden and Cancelo, then Neymar went past Foden before being brought down by Cancelo. He stayed down, rubbing his elbow, which required a bandage at the break but was far from life-threatening. Neymar, quickly recovered, then appealed for a penalty, but he had actually been challenged by his team-mate Alessandro Florenzi.
Yet slowly, and relying on the strength of their mindset, City resisted PSG and pushed them back, helped by the hosts’ surprising willingness to sit back and look to hit on the counter through Neymar, Mbappé and Di María. But they could not get the ball. City turned the tables.
Trailing at the break, City were far from bereft of spirit. They simply emerged from the tunnel and set about PSG, examining their mettle, testing their defence. Guardiola replaced Cancelo with Zinchenko and he had an assist to his name after 66 minutes.
He passed to De Bruyne, who looked to curl the ball towards the far post, trying to pick out John Stones, but it was too far ahead of the defender. Gloriously for City, Keylor Navas failed to notice the danger, not realising the spin De Bruyne had placed on the ball. Navas reacted too late, and could only watch as the ball curled in.
Gueye became the first player to be sent off twice in a single Champions League campaign since Álvaro Arbeloa in 2012-13 for Real Madrid
PSG’s belief deserted them. They have a Hotel George V attack and an Airbnb defence. When Foden was fouled by Paredes with 20 minutes left, Mahrez took charge of the free kick. PSG’s wall opened, space appearing between Paredes and Presnel Kimpembe, and Mahrez’s delivery continued on its merry way, past a furious Navas.
PSG completely snapped then. Neymar was booked for a dig at Dias, and then Idrissa Gueye was rightly dismissed for a reckless, dangerous lunge at Gundogan, catching the German international on his left ankle, a potential leg-breaker. The outstanding referee, Felix Brych, in control throughout, hardly hesitated before showing Gueye the red card. Advantage City.
PSG (4-3-3): K Navas 6 — A Florenzi 6, P Kimpembe 5, Marquinhos 8, M Bakker 7 — I Gueye 5, L Paredes (A Herrera 83) 6, M Verratti 7 — A Di Maria (Danilo 80) 8, Neymar 7, K Mbappe 6 Booked Paredes, Neymar Sent off Gueye
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 7 — K Walker 7, J Stones 7, R Dias 8, J Cancelo (O Zinchenko, 61) 6 — Rodri 7, I Gundogan 7 — B Silva 7, R Mahrez 8, P Foden 7 — K De Bruyne 8 Booked Cancelo, De Bruyne
