PSG Finally Shows it Can Shine in Champions League Without Mbappé

PSG's Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
TT

PSG Finally Shows it Can Shine in Champions League Without Mbappé

PSG's Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Paris Saint-Germain finally showed it can shine in the Champions League without star Kylian Mbappé, rallying from 2-0 down in the second half to beat Manchester City 4-2 for a crucial victory Wednesday.
The win moved PSG out of the elimination zone in the competition's new-look format and dumped City in it with one game to play.
PSG’s re-designed attack finally clicked with four different scorers rather than relying too heavily on one to make the difference.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola scored one goal and set up another for France teammate Ousmane Dembélé, and midfielder Joao Neves headed in the third before striker Gonçalo Ramos rammed in the fourth in stoppage time, The Associated Press reported.
The French team has struggled for goals in the competition since Mbappé’s offseason departure for Real Madrid, netting just six in six games before City's visit and being blanked in defeats to Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said before facing City that the solution up front would come from more teamwork rather than hoping another player can emulate Mbappé, who scored 44 goals last season and helped PSG reach the Champions League semifinals.
City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged his team was outplayed.
“We have to accept it. In transitions we could not cope with them, they were faster,” he said. “I give credit to PSG. When one team is better I have no problem to accept it. All of them they played really good. It’s not a specific (player)."
Mbappé's move to Madrid forced Enrique to improvise with his lineups all season.
This time, 19-year-old winger Désiré Doué played as a makeshift striker even though center forward Ramos was available for this game where both teams were at risk of failing to advance to the knockout stage.
City led 2-0 after 53 minutes but PSG were level by the hour mark after some inspirational play down the left from Barcola. He skipped past Savinho before picking out Dembélé near the penalty spot, and then the 22-year-old Barcola equalized by squeezing a shot in off the left post after Doué’s effort came back off the crossbar.
The diminutive Neves stooped to head in a free kick from the right in the 78th minute.
Dembélé also hit the crossbar with a rasping shot with 20 minutes left and PSG had two other goals ruled out for offside.



Saudi Football Federation Chairman Meets FIFA Global Football Development Chief

Saudi Football Federation Chairman Meets FIFA Global Football Development Chief
TT

Saudi Football Federation Chairman Meets FIFA Global Football Development Chief

Saudi Football Federation Chairman Meets FIFA Global Football Development Chief

Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Chairman Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal met with FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger in Riyadh.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between SAFF's technical department and FIFA's football development division, SPA reported.

Their discussions centered on improving technical operations within the Saudi federation.
Wenger also toured SAFF's technical department, where he was briefed on national team strategies and current working procedures.
This meeting is part of SAFF's ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation with FIFA, aligning with its global influence strategy launched in September 2021.