Young guns prove PSG can deliver without Mbappe

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain finally showed it can shine in the Champions League without star Kylian Mbappe, rallying from 2-0 down in the second half to beat Manchester City 4-2 for a crucial victory Wednesday.

The win moved PSG out of the elimination zone in the competition's new-look format and dumped City in it with one game to play. PSG needs only a draw at Stuttgart next week to advance.

"I feel pride this evening, against such a team, against such a manager, against such good players," PSG coach Luis Enrique said. "It was a complete performance today."

PSG's re-designed attack finally clicked with four different scorers rather than relying too heavily on one to make the difference.

Bradley Barcola, a 22-year-old winger, scored one goal and set up another for France teammate Ousmane Dembele, and 20-year-old midfielder Joao Neves headed in the third before striker Goncalo Ramos rammed in the fourth in stoppage time.

"The more competition we have, the happier I am," Enrique said. "That means that no player can think of his position as untouchable."

A far cry from the Galacticos era when PSG was top-heavy with stars like Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe but still fell short on the big stage.

Still, the French team has struggled for goals in the competition since Mbappe's offseason departure for Real Madrid, netting just six in six games before City's visit and being blanked in defeats to Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Enrique said before facing City that the solution up front would come from more teamwork rather than hoping another player can emulate Mbappe, who scored 44 goals last season and helped PSG reach the Champions League semifinals.