PSG-Manchester City (4-2): “We have players who never give up”, the keys to an unforgettable evening

And suddenly, the bench jumps up like one man… Lonely at the corner point, Gonçalo Ramos, scorer of the fourth goal of the evening, has definitely liberated the Parc des Princes at the same time as the entire Parisian delegation who sprints at full speed to join the Portuguese striker. Paris has just pulled off a masterstroke by managing to catch up two goals behind and overturn Manchester City (4-2): an absolutely breathtaking scenario which gives rise to total communion between the players and the supporters, each more excited. than the others.

While Arnau Tenas is laughing miming Ramos’ usual celebration in front of the delirious public, Luis Campos throws himself on Luis Enrique to congratulate him. The PSG sports advisor returned to see the Spanish technician twice, grabbed him violently by the coat and hugged him to show him, in his own way, his satisfaction at having experienced an evening which changed the face of the Parisian season.

Forty minutes before, almost no one imagined experiencing such euphoria and gaining such momentum during a memorable second half. With two late goals conceded after returning from the locker room, Paris was on the brink of collapse, almost doomed in this Champions League. Finally, the outcome of this evening allows them more than ever to believe in qualification for the play-offs which they will reach in the event of a draw, next Wednesday in Stuttgart. Voted man of the match, Joao Neves recounts his satisfaction at seeing his team not deny their ideas to win.

“We showed the qualities of the group, the players, the coach”

“There are several shared emotions,” recognizes the Portuguese community at the microphone of Canal +. I think we had a very good match: we dominated in the first half then in the second half, we could have come back better and they took control of the match. Even when we were 2-0 down, we managed to come back and I’m very happy for the team, that’s the most important thing. We kept the same ideas, the same philosophy in the match, that’s the secret. We stayed focused on the next ball, the next duel, the next action. This is an important victory. »

Special, obviously, because it once again highlighted what makes this young team special, which does not give up, which does not want to give up. She had already demonstrated in Ligue 1 her spirit of resilience, her determination, her self-sacrifice, this rage which animated her and allowed her to remain undefeated on the national scene. This time she has succeeded in transposing onto the European scene this strength of character which brings her additional energy in moments when the red and blue boat is rocking.

“At 2-0, I wasn’t afraid of anything, I had to raise my head to get the victory”

“How do I explain this turnaround? It’s not the first time. In Lens, in Monaco, this was already the case, remembers Luis Enrique. My team has a lot going for it. She never surrenders, until the last second. This match will strengthen my players because we are young. They have shown that they can be competitive and that they never give up. » While PSG has been able, in the past, to give up and surrender at the first hitch, this time it came back two goals behind, for the first time in its history in the Champions League, according to Opta . We even had to go back to May 2012 to find traces of such a performance (4-3 victory at Valenciennes) in all competitions!

Beyond the esprit de corps displayed and the mental resources displayed, Marquinhos’ partners also won the three points with their usual weapons: mastery of the ball, control of the game – 36.9% possession only for City (second lowest total for a team coached by Guardiola, according to Opta) and with its mind permanently turned towards attack. “The feeling of the “comeback” was incredible, the team deserves this victory, underlines Achraf Hakimi. At 2-0, I was not afraid of anything, we had to raise our heads to get the victory. Our team believed in it until the end. We reduced the mark very early and saw that it was possible. Since our arrival at the stadium, we have felt the support of the supporters. On the pitch, too, we felt that they were pushing us. We lived up to their character and their mentality. We achieved something very difficult today. We can still do great things if we continue with this mentality. »

On its little cloud, Paris will now try not to ignite and to protect itself from any excess of confidence. From Saturday, the Parisian team returns to its daily life in Ligue 1 with the reception of Reims, obviously much less exciting, but already in the minds of the players… “Tonight is a match which gives us a lot of confidence. We have to continue like this, especially in the game, because we have other important matches. Tonight we can enjoy it, but tomorrow we have to think about the championship,” concludes Gianluigi Donnarumma, eager to keep his feet on the ground. Not easy, however, after such an evening…