Manchester City looked like a world beater in its first Champions League match of the season, the type of team that can score at will, whenever it wants. Match Day 2 was a different story for Pep Guardiola’s side, and the Bernardo Silva miss vs PSG may haunt the Citizens if they’re unable to claim first place in Group A.
Paris Saint-Germain finally looked like the PSG we expected when Lionel Messi joined Neymar and Kylian Mbappé to form the scariest attacking three ever created outside of FIFA. Idrissa Gueye scored the opener early and Lionel Messi put the match away with his first PSG goal as Man City fell 2-0 on Tuesday in Paris.
Guardiola will rue the defeat, knowing his side had the better of possession and created more chances. But you have to put away those chances, and Bernardo Silva could have completely changed the course of events had he put away arguably the best chance on either side.
PSG started brightly, highlighted by Gueye’s opener in the eighth minute. But Man City quickly grew into the match and for a while it felt like the English side might pull off another comeback, as it did in last season’s UCL semifinals in April.
Unfortunately for City fans, it didn’t come off for Bernardo Silva.
In the 25th minute, Raheem Sterling headed Kevin de Bruyne’s cross off the woodwork right into the lap of Silva, a Portuguese midfielder with a sublime touch and probably Pep’s first choice to put away such an opportunity. Except he couldn’t get his rebound shot under the crossbar.
Bernardo Silva Miss vs PSG
HOW DID MAN CITY NOT SCORE!? pic.twitter.com/gjTXjn5fHr
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021
Oh no no no no no.
Had City scored, the direction of the match might have been skewed in the other direction, much like City’s 2-1 comeback win in April. Alas, a moment of Messi magic put the game away in the second half.
The miss was indicative of Manchester City’s attack all night. The visitors were often in dangerous positions but couldn’t do enough to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma. PSG’s tireless midfielders covered every blade of grass to make it difficult for Pep’s vaunted attackers.
PSG now leads Group A with four points, even with Club Brugge, which beat RB Leipzig 2-1 on Tuesday. Manchester City is in third with three points but is probably still a favorite to go through with its next two matches against the Belgian side.
