Paris Saint-Germain came back from 2-0 down and the brink of elimination from the Champions League on Wednesday night to humiliate Manchester City 4-2 at a rain-swept Parc des Princes.
Four goals in 10 second-half minutes took the mood of the PSG faithful from gloomy to giddy as City, despite being under the cosh for the first-half, bundled their way to a 2-0 lead with goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland in the 50th and 53rd minute respectively.
It was harsh on the hosts who had Achraf Hakimi's first-half stoppage time goal ruled out for an offside in the build-up.
On the hour mark, it was all square. First, Bradley Barcola surged down the left and cut the ball back for substitute Ousmane Dembélé to sweep home past the Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson after 56 minutes.
Finish
City were the architects of their own demise for the equaliser. Mateo Kovacic was muscled off the ball in midfield, Fabian Ruiz pushed it on to Désiré Doué on the left hand side of the City penalty area and the 19-year-old curled a shot towards the top right hand corner over Ederson. But the ball cannoned off the crossbar and Barcola stabbed home as Ederson lay stricken on the deck.
City's famed control freakery under boss Pep Guardiola that has taken them to six English Premier League titles in seven years and the Champions League crown in 2023 could not stem the tide.
To the elation of a crowd that included the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers basketball teams who are in town for the NBA Paris Games, PSG moved ahead in the 78th minute. Vitinha whipped over a free-kick from the right and Joao Neves stooped to head in past Ederson.
Return
It was redemption for the Portugal international who missed an easier header at the start of the encounter and inadvertently deflected the ball towards Haaland for City's second.
PSG boss Luis Enrique sent on the defender Lucas Hernandez for Barcola in the 81st minute to shore up the rearguard ahead of the anticipated City onslaught.
But it failed to materialise. And PSG inflicted the coup de grace in stoppage-time when Gonçalo Ramos thrashed in the fourth from the edge of the box.
As the video referees reviewed whether the Portugal international was onside, the fans, confident that victory had been secured, revelled in the theatre. Validation of the goal was the icing on the cake and more raucous singing.
"The fans didn't stop supporting us even when we were losing," said Enrique. "We were able to give them a victory after a very special comeback in the second-half. This success is for them and, of course, I congratulate my players."
The win takes PSG to 10 points and into one of the 16 play-off slots for a place in the last-16 knockout stages.
Reality
City, with eight points, fall to 25th and just outside those berths. However, should they beat Club Brugge at home next week in their final game of the group stages, City will progress to the play-off slots.
"I told the players after the game that PSG were simply better," said Guardiola. "In football it's like that. We have to accept it and learn from it. PSG were intense and aggressive. We must move on because we have a tough game against Chelsea on the weekend."
PSG, who host Reims on Saturday in Ligue 1, require a draw next week at Stuttgart in their final fixture of the Champions League group stages to advance.
Brest, the other Ligue 1 team in Champions League action on Wednesday night, fared less well.
They lost 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk to drop to 13th in the table with 13 points. Brest play their final game in the group stages next Wednesday against Real Madrid.
On Tuesday night in the Champions League, Monaco ended their dismal run of form with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
Defender Wilfried Singo scored early in the first half to secure the team's first victory in the four games since beating fifth division Union St Jean in the last-64 of the Coupe de France on 22 December.
Ahead of their trip to Italy to take on Inter Milan on 29 January in their final game of the group stages, Monaco have 13 points.
A draw will give them one of the 16 play-off spots. A similar result for Lille, who host the Dutch outfit Feyenoord on 29 January, will also send them into the play-offs.
