Twitter explodes as Lionel Messi blanks for PSG in 2-1 Manchester City defeat

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) locked horns in an intriguing UEFA Champions League group stage encounter at the Etihad Stadium. In what turned out to be a captivating game of football, particularly in the second half, the home side staged an impressive comeback to record a 2-1 victory.

PSG's star-studded front-three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe showed glimpses of their brilliance in the first half at the Etihad Stadium but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net. The home side, on the other hand, also had their moments, but they weren't as dominant as they usually were before the interval.

The second half turned out to be an entertaining period, with Mbappe breaking the deadlock from close range. The Frenchman, who became the second-youngest player in UEFA Champions League history to make 50 appearances, latched onto a Messi pass to put PSG ahead.

Mauricio Pochettino's side looked well set for a famous victory away from home, but Manchester City struck back in style to turn the tide in their favor courtesy of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. PSG started the second half well, but Manchester City grew into the game progressively and deservedly secured the points to seal their place in the knockout stages.

Messi was the star of the show in the reverse fixture, but the Argentine great was unable to spearhead his side to an important victory in Europe. He registered an assist early in the second half, but that was as good as it got from the night, with PSG once again faltering away from home against one of the traditional heavyweights.

With eight points from five games, PSG are also through to the knockout stages despite losing on the night, with Leipzig's victory against Club Brugge effectively ending the Belgian club's hopes of securing qualification.

Messi to turn attention towards Ballon d'Or after securing UCL qualification with PSG

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain: Group A - UEFA Champions League

As for Messi, he will now look to get his name on the scoresheet against St-Etienne in a Ligue 1 fixture this weekend, much like he did last time around against Nantes. The former Barcelona man is also expected to lift his seventh Ballon d'Or on the 29th of November, as he looks set to beat Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho, Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and others to the prized accolade.

In what turned out to be a night of mixed emotions for PSG and Messi, here are some of the best tweets from the game.

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