Given the current scoreboard, one can tip Manchester City as favourites to qualify for the semi-finals, as their two away goals give them enough leverage to hold off PSG.
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“The quarter-final continues to be open but this is a good result for us”.
“We’ve got a lot of good players and there is a lot more to come from us”.
“But we have shown that we can score goals away from home. Arsenal play West Ham and Tottenham play Manchester United, so it is very important not to drop points here at home and I think that is the mentality of our players”.
First, City coughed up its first-half lead on a horrendous giveaway by midfielderFernando that Zlatan Ibrahimovic top-poked into the empty goal. “I believe in my coach and my players and I’m convinced we will do it in the return leg”. Post the break, PSG went ahead for the first time in the game when Rabiot tapped home from close range during a corner, but City ensured they earn a share of the spoils when Fernandinho made the most of a defensive mess from the Parisians.
Pellegrini is leaving City at the end of the season to make way for Pep Guardiola but remains unwilling to discuss his future, despite recent links with the vacancy at Valencia.
City broke the deadlock on 38 minutes after a fine counter attack, Fernandinho finding De Bruyne on the right for the Belgian to drill the ball past Kevin Trapp from 12 yards out.
“There are still 90 minutes to play and we know it is going to be a tough game next week”, De Bruyne said.
“I think if we can do better defensively we can create chances and score goals in Manchester”. But we are trying to win the game from the first minute, it is the way we play.
Joe Hart denies Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the penalty spot with a lunging save to keep Man City level against PSG.
Meanwhile Joe Hart admitted: “It was a bad first goal for us to concede after being 1-0 up”.
But the Chilean is also aware that it would be a risk to rush back his captain, who turns 30 on Sunday and has missed three-quarters of City’s games this season with a succession of calf injuries.
“This is not a good result”, Blanc said. “We thought it wasn’t his evening but he kept on believing and scored”.
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The defender immediately received a yellow card and subsequently will miss the return leg at the Etihad. “We tried to wait a little and to have a counterattack”.
