PSG down Man City 4-2 in pulsating Champions League clash

Twice-defending champions Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 ​in a pulsating Champions League encounter on Wednesday, their devastating first-half display proving decisive against a City side playing under ‌a cloud of scrutiny.

On a breathless night featuring 46 goals, Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick in Liverpool’s 6-3 thrashing of LASK, Aston Villa recorded the biggest European victory in their history with a 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid staged a stunning late comeback to beat AS Roma 4-3.

But no fixture carried more intrigue ​than the Etihad clash, where City played their first home game since being found guilty of 114 breaches of financial rules.

City, ​who have denied all wrongdoing and appealed the verdict, were carved open by PSG in the first half.

PSG’S ⁠FIRST-HALF BLITZ Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele scored less than two minutes apart before Warren Zaire-Emery’s clever touch released Vitinha to drive the third ​beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 32nd minute.

City emerged transformed after the break, and Erling Haaland headed in Iliman Ndiaye’s cross in the 53rd minute ​to become the fastest player to reach 60 Champions League goals, hitting the landmark in 60 games compared with Lionel Messi’s previous record of 80.

City’s joy was short-lived as Maghnes Akliouche’s stunning long-range strike found the net despite Donnarumma getting a hand to it.

Haaland had the City fans on their feet when he swept ​home Ayyoub Bouaddi’s pass in the 75th minute for his second, before Donnarumma made up for his blunder by saving a penalty from Ferran ​Torres.

The match unfolded against an “us against the world” backdrop, with City fans in the South Stand holding up cards that read “CTID” (City Till I Die).

Former City manager ‌Pep Guardiola ⁠watched from the stands alongside chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and senior executives Ferran Soriano and Hugo Viana.

VILLA HIT FENERBAHCE FOR SIX At Villa Park, Nicolas Jackson and Ross Barkley both scored twice in a dominant display by the hosts.

Johan Mazzambi opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Jackson struck in the 31st and 39th minutes to give Villa a commanding halftime lead.

Barkley added a fourth from the penalty spot in the 68th ​minute before grabbing his second four ​minutes later, while Tammy Abraham ⁠completed the rout with a stoppage-time strike.

At the Stadio Olimpico, Real Madrid scored three times in the closing stages to overturn a two-goal deficit.