MARESCA VOWS TO FIX MAN CITY'S WEAKNESSES AFTER 4-2 DEFEAT TO PSG
Maresca vows City will learn from their 4-2 Champions League loss to PSG, despite a record-setting double from Erling Haaland.
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Manchester City boss says the team must improve its balance and positioning after Champions League loss at the Etihad
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has promised his side will learn from their 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), saying the team must improve its balance and positioning against top-level opposition.
City lost the league-phase Matchday 2 clash at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. It was their first defeat of the season and Maresca's first since taking charge, ending a run of eight straight wins.
The reigning European champions took control in the first half. Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé scored within two minutes of each other, Dembélé's goal coming 99 seconds after Doué's. Vitinha added a third before the break, and Maghnes Akliouche later scored PSG's fourth.
City responded strongly after the interval. Erling Haaland scored twice, taking him to 38 Champions League goals and making him the club's all-time leading scorer in the competition. Enzo Fernández and Haaland both hit the woodwork, and PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov denied Haaland a hat-trick. Sky Sports reported that Maresca made three changes at half-time.
Speaking after the match, Maresca pointed to the two quick goals as the turning point, saying City "lost a bit of balance, distance between players." He added that the team would study its mistakes, particularly how it reacted to falling two goals behind so quickly.
"If you don't go toe-to-toe, you struggle," he said, adding that he believed City could match PSG if the sides meet again.
A record European home crowd of 60,021, according to City, watched the match, which also marked Pep Guardiola's first visit to the Etihad since leaving the club.
City now turn their attention to their next fixture against Ipswich, which Maresca has described as a chance to bounce back. The challenge for the manager will be making sure the defensive problems exposed by PSG do not become a pattern as the season progresses.
Sources: Manchester City, Sky Sports, ESPN, Read Man City.
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Written by Anne Moses
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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