Manchester City were two minutes from their first win of this Women's Champions League campaign. Then Tara Elimbi Gilbert got in behind them, finished past Ayaka Yamashita in the 88th minute, and Paris St-Germain left the Joie Stadium with a point. Three games, three draws.
A night that took 80 minutes to start
For most of the evening very little happened. Neither side settled, neither sustained any control, and the first half ended with supporters in the cold grateful it was over. City had the better of what there was. Khadija Shaw struck wide from outside the box early on, a couple of set-pieces were headed off target, and that was about the extent of it.
The second half offered a bit more. Sakina Karchaoui, the PSG captain, curled a free-kick inches over the bar. Shaw had a decent effort tipped behind by Oliwia Peda and then headed a cross wide. PSG offered almost nothing going forward, which made what came later feel like theft.
Shaw's penalty, and the reply that came straight back
The breakthrough arrived when Griedge Mbock Bathy brought Shaw down in the box. Shaw took the penalty herself and scored it, and for about 60 seconds City looked like winners. The visitors went straight up the other end, cut through the defence, and Gilbert finished. It was clinical in a way nothing else that night had been.
Shaw will not enjoy watching it back, having passed up chances earlier, but the goal was hers and the collapse was collective. Andree Jeglertz's side remain unbeaten in all competitions this season, which is the line the manager reached for afterwards and is a fair one.
The maths still works
City have Inter Milan, BK Hacken and Austria Wien still to play in the league phase, and they will be favourites in all three. Two points from the first two games have become three from three, which is not what anyone planned, but the fixtures were front-loaded with the hardest opponents.
"We were drawn against six teams and we've played the three toughest of them, I think," Jeglertz said. "Now, we have three games that we have the opportunity, again, to get the points we need to qualify for the next round. That's our goal. Nothing has changed." He is right about the schedule. The worry is not qualification, which City should manage comfortably, but that a team with this much attacking talent keeps failing to put ordinary opposition away.
Match facts: Manchester City 1-1 Paris St-Germain, Women's Champions League, Joie Stadium. Khadija Shaw scored from the penalty spot after being fouled by Griedge Mbock Bathy; Tara Elimbi Gilbert equalised in the 88th minute. Lauren Hemp was rated player of the match by BBC Sport readers. City have drawn all three of their European matches and still face Inter Milan, BK Hacken and Austria Wien.
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