Manchester City host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in the club’s first match since they were found guilty of almost all of the club’s breaches of the Premier League financial rules.
With City appealing the decision and continuing to maintain their innocence, Enzo Maresca’s side will be supported by former manager Pep Guardiola, who is set to return to the Etihad for the first time since his departure in May.
Guardiola stood by City following the independent commission’s ruling and made a public statement of support, but his presence at the Etihad is a further statement of his loyalty to the club’s owners.
City defeated Premier League rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in their first match since the international break and now face a PSG side who have won back-to-back Champions League titles.
Luis Enrique also offered his support to City when speaking before the match, and said he hopes the club will avoid sporting sanctions after they were found guilty of 114 and the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
Follow updates from Man City v PSG, below
Read MoreWhy this Champions League campaign feels very different for Manchester City
Luis Enrique hopes Manchester City ‘can avoid the sanction’ for breaching financial rules
Manchester City and PSG’s strange alliance illustrates the biggest problem with modern football
Man City v PSG LIVE: Latest Champions League updates
- Man City host PSG in first match since guilty verdict | Kick-off 8pm
- Former manager Pep Guardiola to return to Etihad for first time in show of support
- Enzo Maresca's side face test against back-to-back Champions League winners
- Man City XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Anderson, Enzo; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
- PSG XI: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Ruiz, Zaire-Emery; Akliouche, Dembele, Doue
Why this Champions League campaign feels very different for Manchester City
19:40 , Richard JollyCity’s streak of dining at European football’s top table may be coming to an abrupt end, adding an extra layer to tonight’s clash with PSG, writes Richard Jolly:
Why this Champions League campaign feels very different for Man City
Man City v PSG
19:33 , Flo CliffordManchester City fans waved hundreds of inflatable bananas in the air as they faced down Liverpool supporters at Anfield last week, and some fans have come similarly armed for tonight’s game.
City fans had applauded their players before kick-off and waved giant bananas, rekindling a tradition from the late 1980s when fans brought bananas and other inflatables to matches during a difficult time in English football when clubs were banned from European competition.
The idea was promoted by supporters’ group 1894, and is a reference to the fans bringing fun to the game amid conflict with football’s authorities. “The message – this fan base has always been on a rollercoaster,” the group tweeted last week.
Manchester City and PSG’s strange alliance illustrates the biggest problem with modern football
19:26 , Miguel DelaneyAs geopolitical manoeuvring spills into the sport, Miguel Delaney explains why football has been too slow to act on state influence
Man City and PSG’s strange alliance illustrates modern football’s biggest problem
PSG hand City surprise boost
19:18 , Richard JollyUnlike many others in the footballing world, Paris Saint-Germain have spoken up for Manchester City since they were found guilty of 114 Premier League charges.
Now Luis Enrique has done them another favour by leaving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench. City have brought in Abdukodir Khusanov - but perhaps that was to try and stop the Georgian...
Anyway, Pep Guardiola is here to watch them on his first return to the Etihad since he stood down in the summer.
Burnham told to ‘come clean’ as deleted records show he had two dinners with Man City chairman
19:10 , Athena Stavrou, Political ReporterAndy Burnham has been told to “come clean” after deleted records reportedly show he had two hospitality dinners with Manchester City’s chairman when he was mayor of the city.
The prime minister is facing questions over his ties to the scandal-hit club during his time as Greater Manchester mayor, and has told MPs that “all of my dealings” with its Abu Dhabi owners would be published.
On Monday, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) revealed Mr Burnham had a formal meeting with Manchester City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at an investment summit, chatted to him in the stands at a star player’s testimonial game and was accompanied by staff from the club on official overseas visits.
But it has since emerged that Mr Burnham also dined with Mr Al Mubarak at matches in 2017 and 2018, with the register of declarations in which the dinners were included reportedly deleted from the GMCA website.
Burnham told to ‘come clean’ as further dinners with Man City chairman emerge
Luis Enrique hopes Manchester City ‘can avoid the sanction’ for breaching financial rules
19:02 , Richard Jolly, Senior Football CorrespondentParis Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has said he wishes Manchester City all the best after they were found guilty of 114 Premier League charges of breaching financial rules.
And the triple Champions League-winning manager said City deserved all the silverware they have secured in a controversial period in their history.
City, who are appealing against the verdict an independent commission reached, face potential punishments including expulsion from the Premier League or relegation, if they get a large points penalty.
But Luis Enrique defended them and praised them as an incredible team in recent years. City, who won the Champions League in 2023, were ruled to have benefited from more than £900m in disguised funding in a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
“There is a lot of noise around Manchester City and there is often noise around big clubs. We have just have to wait and see what the final decision will be.
“I hope everything works out well for Manchester City because I think what they have done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and they certainly deserved to win on the pitch all the trophies they have won. Now we have to wait to see what the authorities decide or the judge is going to say.”
Man City start Doku, Kvaratskhelia on bench for PSG
18:54 , Jamie BraidwoodIt’s three changes for Manchester City from the 3-0 win at Liverpool, with full-backs Khusanov and Gvardiol replacing O’Reilly and Nunes and Jeremy Doku coming in for Iliman Ndiaye after his stunning impact at Anfield.
PSG have Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench, with new signing Maghnes Akliouche starting alongside Dembele and Doue. Joao Neves is also on the bench, with Warren Zaire-Emery starting in midfield for Luis Enrique’s holders.
Man City v PSG team news
18:49 , Jamie BraidwoodPSG XI: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Ruiz, Zaire-Emery; Akliouche, Dembele, Doue
Subs: Chevalier, Mouak, Lucas Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres, Digne, Hernández, Godts, Fernández, Ndjantou, João Neves
Man City v PSG team news
18:45 , Jamie BraidwoodMan City XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Anderson, Enzo; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
Subs: Bettinelli, Rulli, Ndiaye, Kovacic, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Nunes, Bouaddi, O'Reilly, Allan, Foden, Lewis
Your City XI to face PSG 🩵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 14, 2026
XI | Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias (C), Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland
SUBS | Bettinelli, Rulli, Ndiaye, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Nunes, Bouaddi, O'Reilly, Allan, Foden, Lewis pic.twitter.com/jYAzZtrXlL
Enzo Maresca hits back at critics of Man City’s celebrations after Liverpool win: ‘Criticised for what?’
18:43 , Richard JollyEnzo Maresca has defended his Manchester City players after they were accused of over-celebrating victory against Liverpool when they had been found guilty of 114 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules by saying they did nothing wrong.
City won their first match since an independent commission ruled they had benefited from more than £900m in disguised funding and after a verdict said they had sham sponsorship contracts.
Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored second-half goals at Anfield on Sunday and, while pundits and opposition supporters found fault with City for their wild celebrations on the pitch and in the dressing room, Maresca and captain Ruben Dias believed they have nothing to say sorry for.
“Criticised for what? We won 0-3 Anfield. What do you want us to do?” asked the Italian. “And even if it was 0-1, it was exactly the same. We work every day to win games. It's the only thing, again, that we can think, we can be focused.
“The rest is just things from outside that we need to deal with. But we were so, so, so happy inside the pitch, and you cannot imagine inside the changing room.”
Man City confirm Pep Guardiola plan ahead of return
18:32 , Jamie BraidwoodManchester City have confirmed that they will display a “mosaic display in the Pep Guardiola stand” prior to kick-off against Paris Saint-Germain.
Guardiola, who is now a global ambassador for the City Football Group, was not personally accused or charged by the Premier League, but wrote on Instagram last week: “I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, [CEO] Ferran [Soriano], the players, staff, [manager] Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
Pep Guardiola to make Manchester City return amid financial rules breach fallout
18:24 , Richard Jolly, Senior Football CorrespondentPep Guardiola will return to Manchester City to watch next week’s game against Paris Saint-Germain in another sign he is continuing to stand by his former club after they were found guilty of 114 charges levelled by the Premier League.
The Catalan, who posted a message on Instagram in support of the club’s owners and executives, had long insisted they were innocent of the charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.
Guardiola stood down in the summer, before an independent commission concluded City used “sham” contracts to boost their revenue by over £900m over a nine-year period.
City, who have continued to maintain they have “irrefutable” proof they are not guilty, are appealing against the verdict, but potential punishments include expulsion from the Premier League or a points penalty that could make relegation inevitable or likely.
Hello and welcome
18:21 , Jamie BraidwoodIn a normal season, Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League is the sort of game that is expected to grace the knockout stages. An early meeting is the league phase would be considered a treat, as well.
But this is not a normal season and so tonight the focus is once again everything around the game, which is City’s first at the Etihad since they were found guilty of almost all of the Premier League charges for breaking financial rules.
Pep Guardiola is going to be at the Etihad for the first time since leaving the club in May in a symbolic showing of support, and there will be a special presentation for the former manager following his 10 years of dominance at City.
