PSG’s Kviča Kvaratschelia scores twice against Bayern (Image: Getty)
Juventus 2-3 Manchester United. Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona. Inter Milan 4-3 Barcelona. This surpassed them all. Paris Saint-Germain’s extraordinary 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich was not just one of the greatest Champions League semi-finals in memory, it might be the best match the competition has ever witnessed.
And it was another warning for Arsenal and Atlético, who will clash in Wednesday night’s second semi-final, that the teams who advanced from the tie face a formidable challenge in next month’s final in Budapest. There was a truly spectacular display of football in the French capital. Hviča Kvaratschelia and Mikael Oliseh struck brilliantly, Harry Kane continued his incredible Champions League goalscoring record, and those involved made some frankly baffling decisions.
PSG, led by Luis Enrique, narrowly qualified for the final. However, things couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for the hosts as England striker Kane scored Bayern’s 55th goal of the season from the penalty spot after Luis Dias was brought down by Willian Pacho.
However, PSG were only seven minutes behind. Kvaratschelia was given acres of space on the right, darted into Bayern’s box and fired a deadly finish low and out of Manuel Neuer’s reach. The reigning European champions then staged a remarkable comeback through Joao Neves, with the Portuguese midfielder heading home from Ousmane Dembele’s corner kick.
The drama continued to flow freely as Bayern, without coach Vincent Kompany, fought back again. Olise, like Kvaratschelia, danced his way into PSG’s box and unleashed a stunning drive for his 20th goal of a truly exceptional campaign.
There was still time for further controversy just before half-time as the hosts were awarded a penalty. David Alaba blocked Dembele’s cross with his hand, but it clearly hit his thigh before hitting his outstretched arm.
Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich lost despite scoring four goals in Paris (Image: Getty)
The referee was forced to consult the VAR booth and then awarded a spot kick, which was calmly converted by Dembele, bringing an end to a suffocating first half.
The goalless 10 minutes after the restart felt like an eternity, but Kvaratschelia ensured the wait was finally over. Achraf Hakimi’s low cross was evaded by several PSG players, but the Georgian was unable to dodge it, and he finished well.
It was with five hours remaining that Dembele’s low finish hit the post, leaving veteran Manuel Neuer with little chance. At that point, Bayern looked like they were on the verge of being irretrievably overwhelmed, despite some energetic attacking football.
Ousmane Dembele scores twice in first leg for PSG (Image: Getty)
As it turns out, such concerns were premature. Dayot Upamecano quickly returned home to convey his new beliefs to the visitors ahead of the final stage. And they took advantage of that reprieve, with Dias latching on to a fine pass from Kane and firing a shot past Matvei Safonov. His celebration was delayed by a momentary VAR review, but the goal was ultimately conceded.
The Colombian’s goal gives Bayern a fighting chance as the focus shifts to next week’s return match at the Allianz, with PSG looking to seal a spot in the final while Bayern will look to fight back.
It would be a shame for either of these two teams to end their European tour at the semi-final stage. Considering the standards of both teams, I don’t think there are many people who would deny them advancing to the finals. In any case, they will be eliminated in the second leg of the semi-final, where there is much to be gained.
