Manchester City’s Champions League Hopes Hang by a Thread After PSG Defeat

Manchester City’s Champions League Hopes Hang by a Thread After PSG Defeat

  • Manchester City squandered a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes
  • The defeat has pushed the 2023 European Champions out of the knockout spots in the revamped Champions League format
  • Pep Guardiola acknowledged the fairness of the table but emphasised that his team "must beat" Club Brugge in their final group-stage game

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Manchester City’s Champions League campaign is on the verge of collapse following a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.

The defeat leaves Pep Guardiola’s side in 25th place in the 36-team league phase, just outside the playoff qualification zone.

Man City’s Champions League Hopes Hang by a Thread After PSG Defeat
Manchester City squandered a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. Photo: Korbe Plange.
Source: Getty Images

The revamped Champions League format sees the top eight teams advance directly to the last 16, while those finishing 9th to 24th enter a knockout playoff.

Teams placed 25th or lower face elimination with no Europa League fallback—a fate City now risks, per the BBC.

How Man City can prevent early exit

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City’s final game against Club Brugge at the Etihad next Wednesday is a must-win. Even with a victory, they’ll need Stuttgart, currently in 24th, to drop points against PSG to sneak into the playoffs.

It’s a shocking predicament for Guardiola’s men, who seemed in control against PSG after taking a 2-0 lead through Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.

However, a stunning second-half comeback by PSG, with goals from Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos, turned the tide.

The loss epitomises City’s inconsistent form in this year’s competition, leaving their European dreams hanging by a thread.

The final round of games will determine if the Premier League champions can salvage their campaign or face an early exit from Europe’s elite competition.

Champions League Prize money

According to Goal, the Champions League’s expansion from 32 to 36 teams has increased its prize pool from €2.03bn to €2.437bn, with earnings divided into performance-related payouts (37.5%), value pillar (35%), and equal share (27.5%).

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Manchester City have already secured €18.62m from their equal share and their value pillar income but stands to lose significantly in performance-related rewards due to their underwhelming results.

Each League Phase win is worth €2.1m, and draws bring €700k, but City’s two wins, two draws, and two losses have already cost them €7.5m.

An early exit would prevent them from earning €2m for a top-eight finish or €1m for placing ninth to 16th.

Missing the playoffs means forfeiting potential earnings of €64.5m for winning the competition or €24.5m for reaching the quarter-finals, with significant payouts tied to advancing in the knockout rounds.

What Guardiola said after PSG defeat

Guardiola acknowledged that Manchester City facing elimination from the Champions League is now a "reality" after their 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on the road.

"We have the last chance at home to Brugge and hopefully we can qualify," said Guardiola via Sky Sports.

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"It could happen, if we don't win, we don't deserve it. It's always a difficult tie, this is the reality, we haven't got enough points and we have to accept it. We have to do what we have to do.

The nine clubs eliminated after round seven

YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the revamped Champions League format has seen nine teams mathematically eliminated from the competition with one game still to play in the league phase.

The new structure, which replaced the traditional group stage with a 36-team league, has significantly changed qualification.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Isaac Darko avatar

Isaac Darko (Sports Editor) Isaac Darko is a Sports Editor at Yen, boasting over 10 years of experience in the media industry. He has produced award-winning TV shows such as "Football 360" and "Sports XTRA" on ViaSat 1/Kwese TV. Isaac began his career as an Assistant Producer at TV3 Ghana Limited (Media General) and also contributed as a Writer and Weekend Editor for Pulse Ghana. He earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now University of Media, Arts and Communication). Email: isaac.darko@sportsbrief.com.