Erling Haaland now stands alone as Manchester City’s highest Champions League goalscorer, but his two second-half goals could not stop reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain from winning 4-2 at the Etihad on Wednesday.
The Norwegian striker dragged City back into a contest that looked beyond them at the break. PSG had stormed into a 3-0 lead in the first half, and Haaland’s double after the interval turned a rout into a nervy finish for the visitors.
Desire Doue opened the scoring for the French side. Ousmane Dembele then doubled the lead, and Vitinha added a third to leave City stunned before half-time.
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Haaland refused to surrender. He attacked the second half with the urgency City lacked in the first, and his two goals revived the home crowd and rattled the champions.
The pair of strikes lifted his tally to 37 Champions League goals for the club in only 41 games.
That total moves him past City legend Sergio Agüero, who scored 36 in 64 appearances. Raheem Sterling sits third on the club’s list with 24 goals in 67 games. Haaland has overtaken both in far fewer matches, and the record is now his.
His brace could not complete the turnaround, though. PSG steadied themselves after the Norwegian’s second and struck again through Maghnes Akliouche, whose goal restored the visitors’ two-goal cushion and dented City’s hopes of a dramatic equaliser.
City still had a late chance to make the finish tense. Ferran Torres stepped up to take a penalty, but the PSG goalkeeper denied him with a save that sealed the result.
For City, the night offered a familiar mix of promise and frustration. Haaland continues to deliver on Europe’s biggest stage, yet the first-half collapse proved too costly. The defence struggled to contain PSG’s movement and sharpness, and the visitors punished every lapse.
PSG, meanwhile, showed why they wear the European crown. They attacked with confidence, scored three times before the break and then defended their lead under pressure when City surged. Doue, Dembele and Vitinha supplied the early blows, and Akliouche delivered the decisive one.
The defeat leaves City to bounce back as they now sits on the 17th place of the table after Round 2 of the champions League.
