Bayern Munich keep UEFA Champions League hopes alive in wild PSG encounter
Bayern Munich still have everything to play for in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain next week, after losing 5-4 in the French capital in a blink-and-you-miss-it first leg.
Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Kane (pen.) 17', 1-1 Kvaratskhelia 25' (assist: Doué), 2-1 João Neves 33' (assist: Dembélé), 2-2 Olise 41' (assist: Pavlović), 3-2 Dembélé (pen.) 45'+5, 4-2 Kvaratskhelia 56' (assist: Hakimi), 5-2 Dembélé 59' (assist: Doué), 5-3 Upamecano 65' (assist: Kimmich), 5-4 Díaz 69' (assist: Kane)
Having each rested several first-team regulars in their domestic games at the weekend, both sides were at full strength for the first leg at Parc des Princes, although Bayern were without Vincent Kompany on the touchline with the head coach serving a one-match suspension.
It appeared to be business as usual for Bayern though, as they seized possession early on and took the lead through a Harry Kane penalty after a foul on Luis Díaz. Little were the spectators to know at that stage, but the forward’s spot-kick was the first of nine goals in an instant classic.
The defending European champions equalised a short while later via a sublime solo goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and turned the game on its head just after the half-hour mark when João Neves glanced in a header from a corner.
Undeterred, Bayern continued to get forward in waves and were soon on level terms again when Michael Olise – who tormented PSG left-back Nuno Mendes throughout – scored a sensational goal from the edge of the box.
There was more drama to come before half-time though, as the hosts were awarded a penalty following a VAR review for a handball against Alphonso Davies. Manuel Neuer dived the right way, low to his left, in a bid to keep out Ousmane Dembélé’s effort, but it had too much pace for the Bayern goalkeeper to stop.
The second half continued in the same vein, with teams trading blows and getting forward at every occasion. Bayern appeared to be heading for the exit at one stage when PSG scored twice inside two minutes, Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé each grabbing a second, to put the hosts 5-2 ahead.
Having mounted an incredible comeback from 3-0 down against Mainz on Saturday, Bayern set about repeating the trick. Dayot Upamecano reduced the deficit in the 65th minute with a glancing header from a Joshua Kimmich free-kick, before Díaz controlled a sublime Kane pass, outfoxed Marquinhos and smashed in Bayern’s fourth to keep them in the tie.
It was largely one-way traffic towards the PSG goal in the closing stages as Kimmich had an injury-time header cleared of the line, although substitute Senny Mayulu did hit the crossbar on the counter for the home side.
With the score at 5-4 in what ranks as the highest-scoring semi-final match in Champions League final history, Kompany’s side go into the return leg at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 6 May needing to overturn a one-goal deficit if they are to reach the final in Budapest.
