PSG “suffered a lot” as Luis Enrique, Enzo Maresca reflect on “quite lucky” Champions League win over Man City

Luis Enrique has admitted that his Paris Saint-Germain side “could have lost” against Manchester City after racing into a 3-0 half-time lead in Wednesday’s Champions League thriller at the Etihad Stadium.

The defending champions produced a scintillating first-half performance that saw them score three goals in the opening 32 minutes through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha, while Achraf Hakimi also hit the post.

However, Man City admirably fought back in a dominant second-half showing and were vastly improved thanks to the introductions of Iliman Ndiaye, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Matheus Nunes.

Erling Haaland etched his name into the Champions League record books as he scored either side of a fortuitous Maghnes Akliouche strike before Ferran Torres had a late penalty for the visitors saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In a pulsating contest that saw Man City register 27 shots to PSG’s 15, as well a 52 touches in the opposition’s box to the visitors’ 17, Maresca’s men ultimately came up short and lost 4-2 to a French side who were “quite lucky” to claim maximum points.

Enrique: ‘Lucky PSG suffered a lot against Man City’

PSG are the first EVER side to score four goals against Manchester City in a UEFA Champions League game at the Etihad.? #UCL
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 14, 2026

Reflecting on an action-packed evening in Manchester, Enrique told reporters: "It was a really exciting game and what we thought about the game yesterday actually ended up happening.

"When you see a game at this level, two teams who are really trying to play football, pressing as high as possible, I think that was the game we thought it was going to be.

"Exciting, incredible, played at a high tempo. That's exactly what happened. We were able to overcome their pressing in the first half and deserved to be 3-0 up at half-time but then I don't like it when we get two halves of football that are so different.

“I know that the opponents in the second half took a lot of risk and really went for it and created a huge amount of problems for us.

"Most think the game is won, but it's never the case and even with less luck, we can lose this kind of game. We suffered a lot in the second half, they deserved to score more goals. With a bit of bad luck, we could have lost this match.

"The team that lost today perhaps were a bit unlucky and I spoke to [assistant] Raphael Pol at half time and said all the luck that we didn't have in the first games of the French league, we got all of it today. It balanced out a bit in the second half today when the luck was on our side. I think the luck was on our side this evening."

Meanwhile, Man City manager Enzo Maresca believes that his team are "close" to PSG’s level and was told by Enrique at full time that the French side were “quite lucky” to hold on for the win.

Maresca: “We created enough to deserve something more”

“I think we started quite good until the first goal and then we concede the second after one minute and that probably created a bit of bad feeling, so first half we struggled,” Maresca told TNT Sports.

“Second half we were much, much, much better and probably we deserve even something more. It was a bit strange, to be honest, because until the first goal we started quite good.

“We were in the game, create something, concede nothing, then we concede the first one and after two minutes the second one. It’s already difficult and when you concede two goals in two minutes it’s ever worse, but in the second half I think we created enough to deserve something more.

“We adjust a little bit the way we were pressing and something also on the ball. It was a bit strange, not because of the way we were pressing or attacking, but we conceded two goals in two minutes and I think we lost a little bit the balance, but then the second half was a completely different game.

“I think even with the 0-3 first half, with the amount of chances we create second half we deserve something more,’ said the Italian. ‘And Luis was quite honest at the end of the game. He said: ‘We have been quite lucky today.’”

Defeat for Man City has seen their impressive eight-game winning streak in all competitions come to an end, and they must now turn their attention back to the Premier League as they play host to Ipswich Town on Saturday.