Manchester City notch crucial away goals in Champions League draw with PSG

Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho punished some slack defending to help Manchester City grab a valuable 2-2 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain in an error-strewn first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Poor concentration cost both sides, but Fernandinho gave City the edge for next week's second leg when he bundled the ball home after a mix-up between right back Serge Aurier and center half Thiago Silva in the 72nd minute.

"What really cost is us that we me made mistakes we don't normally make," said PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who expects the return leg to be equally open.

"I can't see City sitting back and protecting the result," he said.

City struck against the run of play in the 38th through Belgium winger Kevin De Bruyne, but a huge mistake from midfielder Fernando gifted PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equalizer three minutes later.

With PSG in control again, midfielder Adrien Rabiot tapped home in the 59th after goalkeeper Joe Hart saved Edison Cavani's glancing header from Angel Di Maria's corner.

"It's absolutely open and we need to have a very good game in Manchester (because) PSG play at home and away in the same way," City coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "We made important mistakes that we can't do if we want to win the Champions League."

In the night's other match, Wolfsburg upset 10-time winner Real Madrid 2-0.

Shortly after De Bruyne's goal, City supporters watched in shock as Fernando's gaffe wiped away their team's lead.

Hart was partly to blame, rolling a goal kick to Fernando on the edge the box when he could have played it to one of his fullbacks or kicked it long.

It was all far too casual, and Fernando's nervous first touch was slightly too heavy and, as he tried to retrieve the ball under pressure, he gifted Ibrahimovic an open goal and his 39th goal of another prolific season.

"It was a terrible first goal to concede," Hart said. "I gave Fernando the ball and he thought there was an option to pass it."

City is playing in its first Champions League quarterfinal, while PSG reached the semifinals once before, back in 1995.

"We are making history for this club," Hart said. "Two away goals is great, hopefully we make them count."

The match could perhaps have been billed as a "Gulf Derby" between immensely rich clubs. City is bankrolled by Abu Dhabi investor Sheikh Mansour, a member of the ruling family while PSG is fuelled by funding from Qatar Sports Investments. According to Deloitte, the combined revenue of the clubs is nearly one billion euros.

Injury-hit City was missing key defender Vincent Kompany, goal-scoring midfielder Yaya Toure and winger Raheem Sterling, while PSG was without central midfielder Marco Verratti.

With both sides edgy, there were plenty of scrappy fouls.

PSG center half David Luiz shown a yellow card inside first minute for bringing down striker Sergio Aguero and misses the return leg, as does PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi after getting booked early in the second half.

PSG had a penalty claim waved away as center half Eliaquim Mangala came across to steal the ball off Matuidi. But referee Milorad Mazic pointed to the spot in the 12th when right back Bacary Sagna was adjudged to have tripped Luiz.

Up stepped the imperiously confident Ibrahimovic, who put four goals past Hart when Sweden beat England 4-2 four years ago.

But Hart earned a modicum of payback, refusing to commit early and anticipating Ibrahimovic's spot-kick as he leapt to his right.

After saving Ibrahimovic's tame header moments later, Hart watched with relief as Ibrahimovic missed a great chance.

Played clean through by Thiago Motta's superb pass, Ibrahimovic had time to pick his spot from just inside the area but his ambitious curling shot flew over.

"(Ibrahimovic) missed a penalty and a great chance so perhaps he can think that it wasn't his night -- or ours," Blanc said.

City punished the miss, as PSG midfielder Rabiot failed to control Matuidi's pass and midfielder Fernandinho took the ball off him. Surging forward, he played a pass beyond Luiz and into the path of the fleet-footed De Bruyne, who hit a powerful shot under the body of goalie Kevin Trapp.

PSG deservedly took the lead after dominating the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but may rue not scoring another, with Ibrahimovic heading against the crossbar and Cavani blazing over from the rebound.

City took full advantage.

Sagna crossed from the right, Aurier poked the ball haplessly toward Silva, who was off-balance and could not clear his lines, allowing the lurking Fernandinho to scuff a priceless goal into the bottom left corner.