CITY and Paris St Germain played out a goalless draw on a freezing night of UEFA Cup action at Eastlands.

The Blues, who have already qualified from Group A and are guaranteed at least second place, failed to find inspiration and Daniel Sturridge passed up City's best chance of the night early on.

Peguy Luyindula was PSG's main threat but he could not find a way past Joe Hart in the Blues goal, and with the game stretched late on it was the visitors who looked more dangerous.

If they were being brutally honest about this game, both managers would have admitted, albeit sheepishly, that it got in the way of more important matters that lie ahead.

City, having already qualified for the UEFA Cup's last 32 from a tricky Group A thanks to a home win over FC Twente and the clinical despatching of Schalke in Germany less than a week ago, have Premier League points uppermost in their minds ahead of Christmas.

PSG, meanwhile, have not exactly been 'pulling le finger out' in the group matches making multiple changes to their regular - and best - side for their games against Twente (lost) and Santander (drew) and doing so to a much lesser extent again at Eastlands.

Of course for the Blues there was the carrot of a first place finish, and the 'easier' knockout draw that goes with it, but in the back of their minds they knew, too, that they would have a second stab at that reward in Spain later this month had things gone pear shaped in this one.

Expedition

There was an eerie lack of tension and adrenalin in the freezing night air with some of the players dressed more for a Polar expedition than a game of football.

It was not a look that would have gone down well on the catwalks and runways of the great Parisian fashion houses.

It is part of that great city's psyche that its inhabitants can be charm, style and elegance personified or, if they are in a different frame of mind, both diffident and disinterested.

For most of this encounter Paul Le Guen's men, watched from the stands by old boy Nicolas Anelka and Sale Sharks star Sebastien Chabal, were clearly the latter appearing as though they would have rather been anywhere else but in an ice-laden East Manchester awaiting another miserable snow flurry.

It was hard, then, to discern whether a much changed City side minus the recently outspoken talisman Robinho but containing two of his countrymen in Elano and Jo `lacked the mentality of champions' though perhaps we will be able to judge that better when he and the rest of the automatic first choices roll up in West London to face a rejuvenated Fulham on Saturday morning.

Blues boss Hughes had some alterations to his line-up forced upon him by injury but others were self-imposed as he left out Benjani and Didi Hamann from the side that won at Schalke but then lost the derby.

There were chances available for others to stake their claim not to be discounted or put to the back of the rack after the forthcoming January sales that are bound to see multiple changes to the make up of the City squad but no one ceased their opportunity to suggest there is real top class depth waiting in the wings

In addition to the two recalled Brazilians, Danny Sturridge, Tal Ben Haim and Pablo Zabaleta all came in for a start and it was the first named who should have opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Elano - who has clearly forgiven him for swiping the penalty against Arsenal - superbly slotted the youngster through the inside-left channel with huffing and puffing Parisians trailing in his wake.

Unfortunately Sturridge was unable to do the pass justice and his heavy first touch allowed the ball to run away a little and give goalkeeper Mickael Landreau the chance to smother the final shot.

Feisty

Some of the tackling was feisty and presumably to the liking of Sale Sharks' French rugby colossus Sebastien Chabal who was in the stands watching his countrymen.

He would have been less impressed by the sporadic skirmishes that took place between rival fans inside and outside the ground.

Paris followers were believed to be the instigators though Blues fans asking them where they were in WWII hardly helped matters!

Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta both brought Landreau back into serious action in a far from incident packed affair and PSG threatened even less frequently their best opening coming in the last minute of the first-half when Richard Dunne was rescued by Ben Haim after Peguy Luyindula had intercepted the City skipper's errant pass.

City lost Elano to injury in the opening m oments of the second period that stripped them so close to the bare bones in midfield that for a short while it appeared Felipe Caicedo might make a rare appearance.

The game, though, lacked pattern and purpose with Kompany the outstanding player on either side and chances few and far between with City seemingly devoid of fresh ideas and PSG certainly no better.

After Vassell was off target for the second time in the game it seemed it would take a set piece or a howler to decide the contest and Kompany had the chance to add to his burgeoning reputation in the 65th minute but cleared the wall and the bar with a fiercely hit 20-yard free kick.

Twente's win over Schalke means that it is now a straight fight between City and the Dutch side for who wins the Group.

And that means the Blues having to do things the hard way by winning in Santander in two weeks' time.

What is your verdict on the game? Have your say.