So similar and yet so different. Two clubs who not long ago were in the second or third periphery of the European scene but are now fighting toe-to-toe with the biggest teams of the Old Continent. Money has put them on the front-line, ready to fight for the Champions League glory after years of heavy investment.
Both managed to win the Winners' Cup against rivals with little pedigree. City beat Gornik Zabrzek in 1970 whilst PSG did the same against Rapid Vienna in 1996, securing their only triumphs in Europe.
But, beyond the historical and current similarities, there are also numerous differences between the two projects. Starting with the dugout: Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery, two Spanish managers, have in their hands two of football's most important long-term projects, but they are stamping their philosophies in very distinct ways.
In his second year in Manchester, Guardiola has managed to capture the essence of City. His football symphony has amazed a Premier League accustomed to another type of game. As he did at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Catalan coach has taken his style to the extreme at the Etihad.
However, he has achieved it through spending vast amounts on his defence in the summer, forming one of the most expensive in history. It was a shewd move, as he knew he already had the attacking talent to compete against the heavyweights. Although it had nothing to do with Emery and PSG bursting the transfer market for forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Across the English channel, the Basque coach's tactics were not enough to win at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid on Wednesday, with his attacking trident failing to perform on the big stage. Criticism flooded Emery after the game and highlights the final difference between the two managers.
There seems to be disarray in the PSG dressing room, meanwhile Guardiola is obsessed with having everything under control, and normally succeeds. They might be two projects financed with foreign chequebooks, but they have certainly opted for very different models.