Manchester City will play the first final in its history of the Champions League after eliminating French Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals, which they defeated this Tuesday also in the second leg 2-0 in a match without excessive problems for Pep Guardiola’s team .
The ‘Sky Blues’ will fight again for a continental title 51 years after winning the Recopa and after finally overcoming the barrier that the Champions League had raised to his multi-million dollar project each season.
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Under the command of Pep Guardiola, the one that was missing jumped and may have the option of lifting his first ‘Orejona‘, the third as coach for Santpedor, who returns to this decisive match for the first time in a decade. Since he left FC Barcelona in 2012, the coach had not had the opportunity to do so.
The ticket to Istanbul did not have the turbulence that could be expected for City, helped both by its result in the Parc des Princes (1-2) and by the physical problems of Kylian Mbappé, who could not appear in a Etihad Stadium, whose state, due to a snowfall, affected the development of the first 45 minutes.
Verratti and Di María, until his expulsion, were the best arguments of the Premier League leader, who only suffered at the start, more impetuous by a PSG who dreamed of putting emotion on him with a penalty that he finally dismissed Bjorn kuipers after seeing that the ball had touched Zinchenko’s shoulder.
Without the best version of Neymar and with an Icardi that could barely touch the ball, the Parisian team tried despite receiving Mahrez’s first goal in the 11th minute in a play started with a spectacular pass from his goalkeeper area Ederson at the entrance to Zinchenko.
After both Marquinhos headed to the crossbar and Di María touched the goal after an error in the exit of the ball by the English team and with Ederson displaced, but little by little, Mauricio Pochettino’s team, except for the efforts of Verratti and Di María, was losing steam and City was able to survive more comfortably to reach the break with their advantage, with Keylor Navas watch out for a new low shot from Mahrez.
Di Maria, expelled
But as in Paris, Guardiola reactivated his team after the break. Manchester City, with the field in much better condition after the necessary arrangements, took control from the beginning, taking the ball away from a PSG where according to the minutes passed It seemed to be clear that Mbappé would not come to the rescue.
With the defense controlling the few visitors onslaught and De Bruyne growing in prominence, the locals sentenced with a good connection between the Belgian and Foden, and went from this to the far post where Mahrez appeared once again to sentence. PSG was already nervous, a state of mind reflected mainly in the red to Di María for an attack on Fernandinho. The City was able to increase its rent, but he settled for savoring his pass, where he awaits the Chelsea-Real Madrid winner.
Data sheet
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Rúben Dias, Zinchenko; Bernardo Silva (Sterling, min.82), Fernandinho, Gündogan; Mahrez, De Bruyne (Gabriel Jesus, min.82) and Foden (Agüero, min.85).
PSG: Keylor Navas; Florenzi (Dagba, min.75), Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo (Bakker, min.83); Herrera (Draxler, min.62), Paredes (Danilo, min.75); Di María, Verratti, Neymar; and Icardi (Kean, min.62).
Goals: 1-0, minute 11. Mahrez. 2-0, minute 63. Mahrez.
Referee: Björn Kuipers (HOL). He admonished Zinchenko (min.72), De Bruyne (min.74), for Manchester City, and Herrera (min.22), Verratti (min.71), Kimpembe (min.87) and Danilo (min.89) , by PSG. He sent Di María off with a red card in the 69th minute.
Stadium: Etihad Stadium.