Manchester City manager Enzo Mareska believes his team is close to matching PSG's level, despite suffering a 4-2 defeat in the Champions League.
At the Etihad, City struggled through a poor first half, allowing the Parisians to score three goals. After the break, Erling Haaland netted a brace, but it was not enough to salvage the match.
Mareska acknowledged that conceding two quick goals made things extremely difficult for his side. However, he praised PSG's courage, their intense pressing, and their dynamic style of play.
'Honestly, I really enjoy playing against PSG! They're brave. I understand how they want to press: they go forward, they're not afraid of anyone, and they play man-to-man all over the pitch. With the ball, they are very dynamic. I love playing against them!' Mareska stated.
The manager also expressed confidence that Manchester City is not as far off from the Parisians as the scoreline might suggest.
'Honestly, I believe we are already at that level. From my feelings, we are close. In the first half, it was tough for us because we conceded two goals. When you're on the pitch and realise how difficult it is to play against a team like that, and then see you’re already down 0-2, the situation becomes even harder,' the coach explained.
According to Mareska, after the break, City created enough chances to hope for a more favourable outcome.
'In the second half, we created enough opportunities to deserve more. We lost, but we can learn lessons from this match and move on,' he summarised.
Now, Manchester City will need to utilise the lessons learned as they approach their next Champions League fixtures. Mareska is convinced that his team can improve and close the gap to the top European clubs.
