PSG vs Manchester City: Europe's giants meet in search of first Champions League triumph

Can anyone stop Man City? The key questions around their quadruple bid

Both sides have been dominant in their respective leagues in recent years but can they take the next step and conquer Europe?

When: Wednesday, April 28, 20:00 GMT

How to watch: BT Sport

Best bets

PSG to win 2-1 at 21/2 with Bet Victor

Kylian Mbappe to score first at 27/5 with Unibet

Riyad Mahrez to score anytime at 5/2 with Unibet

Kylian Mbappe, Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, Ligue 1

Mbappe and manager Pochettino on the sidelines for Paris Saint-Germain

PSG and Manchester City are both striving to win the Champions League for the very first time. After years of investment, both clubs will be under a lot of pressure to win this semi-final.

Although the two sides have only ever played three times, the two managers are no strangers to each other having met on 18 occasions.

Pep Guardiola has managed Barcelona, Bayern Munich and his current team Manchester City. His opposite number, Mauricio Pochettino, has been in charge of Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham and now PSG.

PSG looking to book their place in their second successive UCL final

Whilst both were managing domestically in Spain, Guardiola's Barcelona came out on top more than Pochettino's Espanyol, winning five times and losing only once in nine meetings.

The two locked horns nine more times in England, seven in domestic competitions and twice in the Champions League. The seven domestic meetings saw four Guardiola wins and only one Pochettino victory.

In the Champions League, the managers met in the 2019 quarter-finals and Pochettino had the last laugh with his Spurs side advancing on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.

Pochettino vs Guardiola managerial meetings

Played: 18

Pochettino wins: 3

Drawn: 5

Guardiola wins: 10

Three previous meetings:

Manchester City 1-0 PSG (April 12, 2016)

The English and French giants met at the quarter-final stage in the 2015/16 Champions League. With the tie poised after a 2-2 draw in Paris, the Manchester club took the initiative and won courtesy of a Kevin De Bruyne goal.

Sergio Aguero missed a first-half penalty to keep the game at 0-0 going into half time. Joe Hart thwarted a powerful Zlatan Ibrahimovic free-kick to stop the away side taking the lead.

Lucas Moura had the ball in the Man City net but an offside flag kept the scores level. A Thiago Silva header was pushed over the crossbar by Hart before Kevin De Bruyne scored a wonderful curling shot with only 15 minutes left on the clock.

The goal helped City into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the very first time.

PSG 2-2 Manchester City (April 6, 2016)

Two away goals gave Manchester City a slight advantage going into the second leg at the Etihad.

An early PSG penalty appeal was waved away before they were awarded a spot kick following a foul on David Luiz. However, Joe Hart kept Ibrahimovic out from 12 yards.

Sloppy play in midfield from the home team allowed City to counter attack and influential midfielder Fernandinho supplied the pass to Kevin De Bruyne, who confidently finished to make it 1-0.

Man City were the masters of their own downfall for the equaliser as they attempted to play out of defence, Fernando was caught on the ball and Ibrahimovic's interception found a way into the net.

Adrien Rabiot tapped in to give the Parisians a vital lead but 13 minutes later Fernandinho scored a messy goal after multiple half-clearances and deflections helped the ball into the net making it 2-2 on the night.

Manchester City 0-0 PSG (3 December, 2008)

Shortly before both clubs were injected with the riches of their current owners, the sides met in an uninspiring 0-0 draw in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup Group Stage.

City, who had already qualified from the group of five teams, rested several first team players in front of just 25,000 fans.

With several big-name signings being touted for City, their fringe players did little to persuade their boss Mark Hughes that their squad did not need an overhaul.

PSG, who were without their key strikers Ludovic Guily and Guillaume Hoarau, got men behind the ball and absorbed Manchester City's advances to earn a hard fought point. The draw was enough to keep the English club top of their group with one game remaining.

Head-to-head

Played: 3

PSG wins: 0

Drawn: 2

Manchester City wins: 1

PSG goals: 2

Manchester City goals: 3

Manchester City won the Carabao Cup last weekend

Manchester City completed the first leg of a possible treble with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham to lift the Carabao Cup for the fourth successive season. Aymeric Laporte, who could have been sent off earlier in the game, headed in with less than 10 minutes left to give the Citizens the win.

Guardiola's team dominated from start to finish but ultimately failed to find the breakthrough until the dying embers of the game. Kevin De Bruyne bounced back from injury and impressed which will delight City fans ahead of their huge game in midweek.

Raheem Sterling seemed dangerous and Phil Foden once again showed maturity beyond his years with a good display. Pep Guardiola will likely have a near full-strength squad at his disposal for the trip to Paris for the first leg.

kylian mbappe paris saint germain psg goal celebration 2019

PSG's Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain have won four games in a row domestically and even though they lost the second leg of their quarter-final with Bayern Munich, they still progressed to the last four. Their latest victory was against Metz at the weekend which kept them in the hunt for yet another Ligue 1 title. They trail leaders Lille by one point with only four games left.

Two goals from Kylian Mbappe and a penalty from Mauro Icardi helped Mauricio Pochettino's team to victory. Neymar, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria are all expected to start for PSG which will provide some much needed firepower against a team that has kept a large number of clean sheets this season.

Scoreline prediction: PSG 2-1 Manchester City

If PSG can put together a performance such as the victory in Munich in the quarter-final, there is no reason why they can't go to Manchester City next week holding an advantage. Mbappe and Neymar have proved that they can do it on the biggest stage and there is a real belief in France that this is PSG's season to lift the Champions League.

An entertaining fixture is expected considering all of the attacking talent on show. It promises to be a blockbuster of a semi-final, with PSG able to edge the first leg by two goals to one.

Goalscorer bets

Kylian Mbappe has 39 goals for club and country this season and his displays against Barcelona and Bayern Munich in this competition have been nothing short of incredible.

The French attacker is available at 27/5 to net the first goal at the Parc des Princes.

Man City’s Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez has impressed without necessarily hitting the net too regularly and only has one Champions League goal to his name this season. This being said, the Algerian has the ability to score important goals and Pep Guardiola trusts him in the Champions League starting him in all but one fixture to date.

With PSG likely to have makeshift left back, Abdou Diallo, starting up against Mahrez, he should get opportunities to cut in on his deadly left foot and make inroads towards the goal.

The winger is priced at 5/2 with Unibet to score anytime.