Manchester City remain winless in this season’s Women’s Champions League after Tara Elimbi Gilbert’s late strike earned Paris Saint-Germain a 1-1 draw at the Joie Stadium.
Andree Jeglertz’s side had appeared to be on course for a much-needed victory when Khadija Shaw – fresh from finishing third in this week’s Ballon d’Or – converted an 85th-minute penalty to finally make the breakthrough against stubborn opponents, the Jamaica striker’s 10th goal in her last 10 outings.
However, the hosts – unbeaten so far this season – then switched off to allow Gilbert to level just three minutes later to put in jeopardy their hopes of finishing in the top four of the new league phase, and with it automatic qualification for the quarter-finals without needing to go through the play-offs.
City do move up to 10th place in the standings, but still four points behind the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal in the top four after a third straight draw.
The key moments from the Joie Stadium
14: SO CLOSE! That would have been a sensational goal as again Hemp goes on a mazy dribble down the left, before picking out Shaw on the edge of the box and the striker turns neatly, before flashing a volley just past the righthand post.
57: DANGER! Hemp bursts clear down the left and get free to the byline, before picking out Fujino at the back post and the midfielder brings the cross down on her chest, only for Samoura to make a vital block.
60: CLOSE! Karchaoui who curls an effort inches over the bar, with Yamashita at full stretch.
66: GREAT SAVE! Brilliant one-handed stop low down to her right by Szperkowska to keep out Shaw’s drive from just inside the box.
69: BIG MISS! Hemp is given too much time and space to pick out Shaw at the back post, but the striker plants her close-range header wide of the goal.
83: PENALTY! Shaw goes on a barnstorming run to the lefthand byline and is taken out by Mbock to hand City a penalty.
85: GOAL! Huge goal for City as Shaw keeps her cool from the spot to beat Szperkowska low down to her right and that is 10 in her last 10 for the striker.
88: GOAL! Elimbi races forward and as Charles back off, she carries on unchallenged into the box, before beating Yamashita.
‘Not the start Man City had envisioned’
SSN’s Anton Toloui at the City Football Academy:
“More dropped points for Man City. Three draws in three games in the Champions League sees them scramble into the playoff places in the league table.
Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood is tackled by Paris Saint-Germain’s Emilie Osteras (left) and Griedge Mbock Bathy
“It’s not the start the club had envisioned on their return to the competition, especially after completing the domestic double last season.
“It’s also far from perfect preparation for a huge WSL game at London City on Sunday.”
Jeglertz: Concentration not to blame for late equaliser
City boss Andree Jeglertz defended his team’s concentration after they conceded another late equaliser.
Days after their 100 per cent start to the Women’s Super League was ended by Manchester United’s 89th-minute leveller, City conceded in the 88th against PSG, but Jeglertz did not point fingers at his team.
“It’s not a lack of concentration, there’s always concentration,” he told BBC Sport.
“They have a fast player. She was beating us one against one and scored. That was an individual skill that we couldn’t cope with.
“(I have) mixed feelings. I think the performance is very good. You end up conceding a goal at the end of the game. That’s disappointing but overall what we are performing today is showing what level we have.
“We need to win games if we want to qualify. We have three games left and we have played the three best ranked teams of the six we are playing so I think we still have great opportunities to go to the next round.”
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