On Wednesday, October 14, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) face Manchester City (8th) at the Etihad Stadium (kick-off at 9 PM, CET) in Matchday 2 of the 2026-2027 Champions League. As before every match, here is a look at the Parisians’ opponents.
Manchester City’s situation –
After winning several major titles in recent years, Manchester City has firmly established itself among the elite clubs in the Premier League and Europe. They have even enjoyed a period of dominance in England, though that looks set to be broken this season. One cannot overlook the famous treble of the 2022-2023 season, which notably included finally winning the Champions League.
However, subsequent years were less spectacular, and manager Pep Guardiola eventually chose to pass the torch. The role was taken up by Enzo Maresca, a former assistant who has since managed Leicester City and Chelsea as head coach. The start has been quite interesting, with nothing but wins across all competitions—even if the manner of the victories hasn’t always been truly satisfactory.
There is also the major issue regarding the 114 alleged financial breaches, with sanctions expected.
The 2026 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Manchester City ranks among the top 12 attacks in the Champions League with 2 goals scored (leaders PSG have 6, while the bottom teams—Napoli, LASK, Porto, Sabah, and Bodo/Glimt—have 0). They also rank among the best defenses, having conceded 0 goals (a record shared with Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Arsenal, and AEK Athens; Slovan Bratislava sits at the bottom with 6 conceded).
Manchester City’s top scorer is Erling Haaland (26-year-old forward); with 2 goals, he ranks among the third-highest scorers in the Champions League (the leaders are Ferran Torres and Ermedin Demirovic with 3 goals). Enzo Fernandez (25-year-old midfielder) is the club’s top assist provider with 1 assist, placing him among the sixth-highest in the Champions League (Ousmane Dembélé, Deniz Undav, Lamine Yamal, Nico Paz, and Pau Torres lead with 2 assists).
Manchester City’s last 5 matches –
Only Manchester City’s possession is shown, and City’s shots are listed first (where data is available).
08/09/2026 (Champions League) – Porto vs. Manchester City: 0-2. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 60% possession. 17 shots (10 on target) vs. 4 shots (0 on target).
13/09/2026 (Premier League) – Manchester United vs. Manchester City: 0-1. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 46% possession. 7 shots (2 on target) vs. 16 shots (3 on target).
17/09/2026 (League Cup) – Manchester City vs. Norwich City: 5-0. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 65% possession. 14 shots (6 on target) vs. 4 shots (0 on target).
20/09/2026 (FA Cup) – Manchester City vs. Sunderland: 5-3. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 57% possession. 20 shots (10 on target) vs. 10 shots (2 on target).
11/10/2026 (Premier League) – Liverpool vs. Manchester City: 0-3. Playing a 4-2-3-1. 65% possession. 15 shots (4 on target) versus 10 shots (5 on target).
Probable 4-2-3-1 lineup:
Haaland
Doku – Cherki – Semenyo
Anderson – Fernandez
Gvardiol – Guéhi – Dias – Nunes
Donnarumma
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Rulli, Aït-Nouri, Khusanov, Lewis, O’Reilly, Reis, Allan, Bouaddi, Foden, Kovacic, McAidoo, Ndiaye.
Manchester City’s playing style.
As mentioned earlier, Maresca largely carries on Guardiola’s playing philosophy. While there may be some differences, the core principles remain: a desire to retain possession and to press immediately upon losing the ball. To create chances, City employs a high volume of passes, looking to open up a gap to exploit. All of this is complemented by players who are highly dangerous from outside the box. It promises to be a great matchup between two teams that love to have the ball and attack. An intense battle lies ahead.
