Manchester City Stuns PSG 3-1 in Champions League Round of 16 First Leg

Manchester City delivered a masterclass performance in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night. Erling Haaland was once again the star of the show with two clinical goals, while Kevin De Bruyne added a third to give Pep Guardiola"s side a commanding advantage heading into the return leg in Paris.

The Norwegian striker opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a trademark finish, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from De Bruyne before slotting past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goal was Haaland"s 38th of the season across all competitions, continuing his remarkable debut campaign in English football since joining from Borussia Dortmund.

PSG responded well to falling behind, with Kylian Mbappe equalizing just seven minutes later. The French superstar showed his electric pace to beat the City defense before firing a low shot past Ederson to level the match at 1-1. The goal gave the visitors renewed confidence, and they began to threaten the City goal with increasing frequency throughout the remainder of the first half.

However, City"s quality shone through in the second half as they regained control of the match. Haaland restored the lead in the 58th minute with another composed finish, this time from close range after a scramble in the PSG penalty area. The goal came from a corner kick situation, with the ball eventually falling to the striker who made no mistake from six yards out.

De Bruyne sealed the victory with a spectacular strike in the 74th minute, curling a beautiful shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. The Belgian midfielder"s moment of brilliance epitomized City"s superior technical quality and gave them what should be an insurmountable lead in the tie. The assist came from Bernardo Silva, who had been instrumental in City"s midfield dominance throughout the match.

The victory puts Manchester City in pole position to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals, with the second leg scheduled for March 5th at the Parc des Princes. For PSG, the mountain to climb has become significantly steeper, requiring at least a two-goal victory in Paris to force extra time. The result continues City"s impressive European form this season as they pursue their maiden Champions League trophy under Guardiola"s guidance.