MAN CITY U19 1, PARIS ST GERMAIN U19 3
Manchester City U19s won’t be conquering Europe in the UEFA Youth League following their elimination in the group phase.
The home defeat by Paris St Germain leaves City’s youngster third in Group A with only one win from five games.
A weakened City, with many key young players either on loan or involved with the first team, were undone by PSG’s talented teenager Djeidi Gassama, a player surely destined for a stellar career in the game.
Gassama, who played wide left in attack, scored the first two of PSG’s three goals and could easily have finished with a greater tally as PSG went level on points with group leaders Club Brugge with both clubs progressing.
PSG had the better of the first-half chances and it was no surprise when they made the breakthrough five minutes before the interval.
Shay Simons Xavi Quentin made a break down the right and squared a pass to Djeidi Gassama to slot home at the far post.
The lively Gassama, who signed a three-year professional contract in July 2020 aged 16, earlier had good openings to make the breakthrough.
He was put clean through only for Dutch goalkeeper Mikki Van Sas to block well and had another header caught on the line.
After taking the lead, Edouard Michut almost doubled the lead when his drive was brilliantly turned over by Van Sas.
City’s clearest chance of the opening period came in stoppage time when Nico O’Reilly’s near-post shot from Oscar Bobb’s left-wing cross forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Lucas Lavallee.
Soon after the restart Lavelle excelled again to acrobatically turn over another effort from O’Reilly.
Almost immediately PSG made it 2-0 through the individual brilliance of Gassama whose magical footwork created an opening as he fired low past Van Sas.
City kept plugging away and mid-half an in-swinging corner from Shea Charles was clawed out by Lavallee from under the crossbar.
But PSG’s class told again as they added a third goal with 10 minutes left on a counterattack as Wilson Odobert slotted home a low angled shot into the far corner.
There was some late joy when Rico Lewis pulled a goal back for City with six minutes left as he wriggled free of his marker to fire home from close range.