PSG’s Hakimi Shines in Thrilling 4-2 Victory Over Manchester City

Achraf Hakimi, starting on the right flank, has once again shown that he is a key piece of the Parisian system. In a match where the intensity kept rising, the Moroccan stood out with his frantic runs and technical qualities. Footmercato (5.5/10) highlights his "dragster" accelerations that sometimes gave City’s defense, especially Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, cold sweats. He is also credited with a nice opening pass early in the match for Doué and a decisive involvement in the last Parisian goal thanks to a duel won against Gvardiol.

Maxifoot gives him a score of 7, highlighting his offensive contribution: Hakimi "thought he had opened the scoring before the break" with a goal ultimately disallowed for an offside position of Nuno Mendes. His offensive runs constantly put the Citizens’ defense in difficulty, although, according to the media, some defensive flaws in his back caused difficulties for the Parisian central defense.

One of the highlights of the evening for Hakimi remains his disallowed goal in the first half for an offside position of a few centimeters of Nuno Mendes. This stroke of bad luck did not tarnish his influence on the game, as explained by So Foot, who gives him a 7/10 and describes a "boss-like performance" deserving to be rewarded by this disallowed goal. Eurosport reinforces this by praising the power and serenity of the Moroccan: "He exudes such confidence that we sometimes have the impression that everything is simple for him."

This ease has also been noted by Hommedumatch.fr (7/10), who salutes his penetration and his ability to provide constant offensive solutions. His precise crosses and his runs forward made him a poison for Manchester City’s defense throughout the match.

While his offensive contribution is widely acclaimed, some observers have noted shortcomings in his defensive retreat. Le Parisien (6.5/10) notes an "honorable" performance against formidable opponents like Savinho and Grealish, but regrets a lesser offensive contribution compared to his usual standards. For its part, 90min.com (7/10) insists on the risks taken by Hakimi in his runs, which sometimes left exploitable spaces for the Citizens, notably on Grealish’s goal at the start of the second half.

Nevertheless, despite these imperfections, Hakimi’s overall influence on the Parisian game remains undeniable. Eurosport underlines his role in the pressure exerted on the last Parisian goal, pushing his opponent to make a mistake, while Footmercato praises his ability to take advantage of the spaces to supply the Parisian attackers.

Achraf Hakimi has once again delivered an overall very positive performance against Manchester City. Despite some defensive inaccuracies and the frustration of his disallowed goal, the Moroccan has shown why he is considered one of the best full-backs in the world. Between offensive runs, ability to outpace and decisive contribution in key moments, he has confirmed his importance in the Parisian collective.