PSG vs Manchester City, Doué's warning after the Etihad win

PSG left the Etihad Stadium with a 4-2 win over Manchester City, but Désiré Doué spent just as much time talking about what went wrong after the break. The forward praised the night and the atmosphere, then said PSG could not afford to relax after going 3-0 up at half-time. It was the kind of message that fits a big result better than a victory lap.

Doué's warning after the win

Speaking to Foot Mercato, Doué said: "It was incredible today. The atmosphere was exceptional too. When you are a footballer, you want to play this kind of match. I think we played well, even if our second half was not as good."

He followed that up with the line that will stick, saying: "When you lead 3-0 at half-time, you can think that you can relax, but it is the highest level. City have some of the best players in the world, like Haaland. We must be better defensively."

That is the right place to focus. PSG led 3-0 at the break before the game finished 4-2, and the final score did not erase how fragile control can look once the intensity drops. Doué also had the numbers to back up his night, finishing with a goal and an assist in a 9-rated performance.

PSG's start in the league phase

The result gave PSG two wins from two in the Champions League league phase, with 10 goals scored already. They are also top of the league phase on 6 points, with a +7 goal difference from their first two matches.

Ousmane Dembélé said PSG want to finish in the top 8, but nobody in that dressing room sounds ready to treat the league phase like a formality. Next week, Barcelona visit the Parc des Princes for the third-round clash, and PSG will go into that one knowing the second half at the Etihad showed how quickly a big lead can become a warning sign.