Enzo Maresca expressed confidence in Manchester City's performance despite their 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in a gripping Champions League match at the Etihad Stadium. City found themselves in a tough spot, trailing 3-0 at halftime, but rallied in the second half, showcasing their attacking prowess with 27 shots on goal.

Maresca, whose team had previously won all their matches this season except for a loss in the Community Shield, felt that City were on the brink of matching PSG's level. He noted the significance of the early goals conceded, stating, "It was a bit of a strange game because we concede two goals in two minutes [early in the first half] and that created some problems for us."

Despite the setback, he remained optimistic, saying, "my feeling is we are close." The match was characterized as a game of two halves, with PSG dominating initially but struggling to maintain their lead as City pushed back fiercely after the break. Notably, Ferran Torres had a chance to extend the scoreline but missed a penalty at the end of the match.

Both coaches acknowledged the intense dynamics of the game. Maresca dismissed the idea that the recent guilty verdicts regarding financial rules affected his players, stating, "No, I don’t think so." Luis Enrique, PSG's manager, agreed with Maresca’s sentiments about City's performance, highlighting the challenges they posed: "City created a huge amount of problems for us. The team that lost were perhaps a bit unlucky."

In a match filled with drama and tension, City demonstrated their resilience, hinting at their potential to compete at the highest level despite the loss.