Enzo Maresca Confident Manchester City Can Reach PSG's Level After 4-2 Champions League Loss

Enzo Maresca, Manchester City's manager, remains optimistic after his team fell 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium. The Italian coach believes the gap between the two European giants is shrinking, especially after a strong second-half performance from City.

PSG's Early Dominance Puts City on Back Foot

The reigning European champions overwhelmed City in the first half, scoring three goals and establishing a commanding lead. Two of those goals came within a rapid two-minute span, leaving the Premier League side struggling to keep pace.

Despite this early setback, City fought back fiercely after the break. Erling Haaland led the resurgence with two second-half goals as City launched relentless attacks, registering 27 shots throughout the match. Even with this pressure, the damage from the first half was too much to undo.

Maresca Sees Progress Despite Loss

Maresca insisted the defeat did not tell the full story. He felt his team’s second-half dominance showed they are close to matching Europe's best sides.

"I think we are there, my feeling is we are close," Maresca said. "It has been a bit of a strange game, especially because we conceded two goals in two minutes and that created problems for us. Before the first goal, we didn't concede anything, then the second followed quickly. In the second half, we did enough to deserve more."

PSG Coach Luis Enrique Admits Luck

After the game, Maresca revealed that PSG manager Luis Enrique admitted his team was lucky to keep all three points against City.

"Luis told me at the end they have been quite lucky," Maresca shared.

He also recognized PSG’s status, saying, "In the last two years they have been the best team in Europe, winning nearly all their games in this competition."

Looking Ahead: Domestic Battles and European Focus

City now turn their attention back to the Premier League, hosting newly promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday. Maresca expects a sharp performance to regain momentum before preparing for their next Champions League match against Greek side AEK.

Meanwhile, PSG will continue their Ligue 1 campaign facing Strasbourg. Enrique’s squad will use this match to prepare for an upcoming Champions League clash with Barcelona.

• Next Matches:
• Manchester City (MCI) vs Ipswich Town (IPS) - Premier League, 17 Oct 2026, 17:00
• Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vs Strasbourg (STR) - Ligue 1, 17 Oct 2026, 18:15