SOCCER UEFA CUP: Manchester City 0 Paris St Germain 0PARIS SAINT German made it to Eastlands with just 55 minutes to spare last night as their team coach was held up in a gridlocked Manchester city centre.
What lay in store for them at Manchester City was hardly the worth the hassle, as Mark Hughes' side showed how much scope for improvement they have in the January transfer window without their leading lights of Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Sunday's defeat to Manchester United showed how limited their resources are beyond the targeted Wright-Phillips and the injury-restricted Brazilian and this Uefa Cup tie confirmed it. A promising start faded into a desperate struggle for parity against the French club, who should have inflicted a second successive home defeat on Hughes's men.
City may have qualified for the knock-out stage with a 100 per cent record from their opening two games but there was no evidence of complacency against a Paris St Germain team languishing bottom of their group and deliberately weakened by former Glasgow Rangers coach Paul Le Guen as he concentrates his resources on the league.
Hughes gave the night off to only Robinho and Wright-Phillips from his senior ranks in the quest for the victory that would guarantee City top spot and, theoretically, a more inviting draw in the last 32.
They should have been on their way after their first attack.
Elano was a major influence on the home side's early superiority, sending Daniel Sturridge clear of the French defence with a perfectly weighted pass in the fourth minute. The same could not be said of the highly rated young striker's first touch, which was too heavy and made life simple for Mickael Landreau as he closed in on goal, although the PSG keeper produced a fine stop to prevent Elano capitalising on the rebound.
For all of City's pressure, that was as close as the home side came before the interval with Darius Vassell and Pablo Zabaleta both unable to convert half-chances from the angle and Jo directing an awkward header straight down the middle of Landreau's goal.
At the opposite end former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman was fortunate not to have been dismissed following a series of reckless indiscretions. Having escaped with a warning for an elbow on Richard Dunne, hardly the brightest idea, Kezman produced a dangerous lunge on Joe Hart as the City goalkeeper cleared an under-hit back-pass from Sturridge and was finally cautioned for wrestling Ben Haim to the floor.
After all that, Kezman produced PSG's one genuine threat of the opening period, following an incisive break by his strike-partner Peguy Luyindula, but his low shot was blocked by a fine interception from Ben Haim.
Kezman went close again at the start of the second half when he escaped Stephen Ireland's challenge but shot into the side-netting and PSG should have taken the lead in the 63rd minute. The opportunity was a carbon-copy of Sturridge's early chance, with substitute Sylvain Armand dissecting the City defence and Luyindula racing clear only to be denied by Hart's legs as the keeper raced from his line to make the block.
Luyindula was a menace for PSG and almost orchestrated a breakthrough for sub Guillaume Hoarau with a low cross that the French centre-forward tapped wide. It was a poor miss but, with an injury to Elano disrupting City's rhythm, the visitors continued to dominate and Luyindula sliced another clear opening over.
Three times the visitors failed to connect with inviting crosses in the final stage. City can count themselves fortunate to have escaped.
• Guardian Service
MANCHESTER CITY:Hart, Zabaleta, Dunne, Ben-Haim, Garrido, Sturridge, Ireland, Kompany, Vassell (Hamann 76), Elano (Mwaruwari 49), Jo (Evans 65). Subs not used:Schmeichel, Logan, Berti, Caicedo.
PSG:Landreau, Traore, Camara, Bourillon, Sakho, Pancrate (Giuly 69), Makelele (Armand 59), Clement, Rothen, Luyindula, Kezman (Hoarau 69). Subs not used:Bete, Ceara, Mabiala, Ngoyi. Booked:Kezman.
Referee: B M Duarte Paixao(Portugal).
