Man City draw with PSG in Paris

Apr 6, 2016 - 11:13 PM Manchester City are well placed to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time after Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho's scrappy goal earned a valuable 2-2 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain in an error-strewn quarter-final first leg.

It was a disappointing result for PSG, which has fallen at the quarter-final stage in the past three seasons, and coach Laurent Blanc was left to rue his side's sloppy defending and wasteful finishing.

Poor concentration cost both sides, but Fernandinho gave City the edge for next week's second leg when he bundled the ball home after a mix-up between right back Serge Aurier and center half Thiago Silva in the 72nd minute.

"What really cost us is that we made mistakes we don't normally make," Blanc said.

Blanc expects the return leg to be equally open.

"I can't see City sitting back and protecting the result," said Blanc, who will be without centre-half David Luiz and midfielder Blaise Matuidi through suspension.

City struck against the run of play in the 38th through Belgium winger Kevin De Bruyne, but a mistake from midfielder Fernando gifted PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equaliser three minutes later.

PSG took the lead when midfielder Adrien Rabiot tapped home in the 59th after goalkeeper Joe Hart saved Edison Cavani's glancing header from Angel Di Maria's corner.

"It's absolutely open and we need to have a very good game in Manchester (because) PSG play at home and away in the same way," City coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

"We made important mistakes that we can't do if we want to win the Champions League."

Although Fernando will want to quickly forget his gaffe, Hart was partly to blame by rolling a goal kick to him on the edge the box when he could have played it to one of his fullbacks or kicked it long.

It was all far too casual, and Fernando's first touch was too heavy and, as he tried to retrieve the ball, he gifted Ibrahimovic his 39th goal of the season.

"It was a terrible first goal to concede," Hart said.

City is playing in their first Champions League quarter-final, while PSG reached the semifinals once before, back in 1995.

"We are making history for this club," Hart said.

"Two away goals is great, hopefully we make them count."

Source: AAP