PSG see opening goal against Man City ruled out after Nuno Mendes' KNEE is offside in Champions League clash
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Paris Saint-Germain were disappointed just before half-time after their would-be opening goal was ruled out for offside in their Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday evening. Morocco international Achraf Hakimi thought he had struck gold with a bulleted effort from just inside the box to take the hosts ahead of the English champions at Parc des Princes.
![[The hosts had looked to make their dominance pay against a weaker Man City side until semi-automated VAR spoilt the party]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/21/94407549-14314759-image-a-14_1737580064676.jpg)
But after a VAR intervention, it was revealed that semi-automated offside had caught Hakimi's team-mate Nuno Mendes by a knee's length. Mendes had initially received the ball on the left flank and skittered into the box, but rather than catching Ederson off-guard, squared the ball to Desire Doue.
![[Achraf Hakimi (left) thought he had broken the deadlock just before half-time but Mendes' knee (right) snuffed out the chance]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/21/94407585-14314759-image-a-20_1737580111398.jpg)
Doue then chose to cut back to Hakimi at the top of the box for the defender to strike past scrambling Man City players, with the shot given a helping hand into the back of the net with a deflection. PSG had been the stronger team in the French capital, with Pep Guardiola's side seemingly not yet exorcised of their mid-season demons after a thumping 6-0 victory in the Premier League against Ipswich Town last weekend.
Paris Saint-Germain saw a goal chalked off on the stroke of half-time after Nuno Mendes' knee (in blue) was glancingly offside. The hosts had looked to make their dominance pay against a weaker Man City side until semi-automated VAR spoilt the party. Achraf Hakimi (left) thought he had broken the deadlock just before half-time but Mendes' knee (right) snuffed out the chance.
Guardiola admitted in his pre-match press conference that his team were in the thick of the 'toughest period of the season' as they look to gain ground in the Premier League and attempt to sneak into the automatic qualification spots in Europe in a bid to avoid extra play-off ties.
