Jamie Carragher claimed it was “men against boys” as Manchester City capitulated in a 4-2 defeat to PSG on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola's side took a two-goal lead in the Champions League clash thanks to Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland just after the break.
But a 23-minute comeback saw PSG turn the match around as Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Joao Neves found the back of the net before Gonçalo Ramos sealed the victory in injury time.
The result was another disappointment for Guardiola's side, who have struggled to find form during the 2024-25 campaign.
CBS Sports pundit Carragher was quick to criticize the Premier League champions' performance, claiming they were “bullied” in Paris.
He said: “It was like two completely different football games.” The first half felt like a testament and the second half was one of the best halves of football we've seen in the Champions League group stage.
Jamie Carragher has hit out at Manchester City following their capitulation to PSG on Wednesday night.
City were leading by two goals in the Champions League clash but ended up losing the match 4-2
Carragher claimed it was “men against boys” as PSG fought back with four unanswered goals.
“As soon as PSG made the changes, especially bringing in Dembélé, I felt like… Thierry mentioned before the game that he felt a little strange with the team Luis Enrique had started with.
“I felt like their best team was at the end, and Manchester City, as we know from the Premier League and sometimes in this group stage of the Champions League, can't cope when the intensity of a match is too much for them.” , physicality.
“They were absolutely bullied in that second half and it was men against boys. They were lucky that in the end there were only four of them. It could have been worse.
Guardiola admitted in his pre-match press conference that his team were in the midst of the “most difficult period of the season” as they looked to gain ground in the Premier League and try to sneak into the automatic qualification spots in Europe in a bid to avoid additional ties in the play-offs.
On TNT Sports, Rio Ferdinand had urged the English team to take control of the clash. “They need to have some control in the game, a little more dominance than they are used to in the midfield and maybe push some of the defenders there at times,” he said.
“They have to make sure they keep PSG away and be more resistant to pressure.”
Despite scoring a goal that night, Erling Haaland could not prevent City's defeat
The locals achieved a well-deserved victory against a mediocre and complacent Manchester City.
In the end, City suffered another defeat and a defeat that could have major ramifications on their future in Europe this season.
If they fail to beat Club Brugge in their next Champions League outing, Guardiola's team will be eliminated from the competition entirely.
Next Saturday, however, he will face former member of Guardiola's coaching staff, Enzo Maresca, and his team, Chelsea.
Ahead of the game against PSG, there was room for a bit of levity on Tuesday from the embattled manager, as he poked fun at his friendship with PSG boss Luis Enrique.
“From the bottom of my heart I want a horrible performance from PSG tomorrow, so I can beat them, but it will be 95 minutes and then the relationship (with Luis Enrique) will go back to being as always,” he said.
'Our families are very, very close. There are friendships that will be eternal, forever. I love them, I think they love us. We have an incredible connection… We are happy when we can see each other.'