While Inter continued their unstoppable march towards the Scudetto and Juventus grabbed three fundamental points in their race for a Champions League spot next season, the European stage shone on Wednesday night with a stellar match from this season‘s edition as Paris St. Germain shocked incumbent champions Bayern Munich.
It ended 2-3 at the Allianz Arena as Les Parisiens benefited of a Kylian Mbappé touched by grace. The young starlet chased away the ghosts of his rumored departure from Paris with a killer brace that reminded everybody that, at least for the time being, he is a PSG player.
Bayern Munich had managed to recover a double deficit before Mbappé’s final winner set the score at 2-3 in a match that was the remake of the most recent Champions League Final. It was well worth the wait as the game totally lived up to the expectation despite the absences of such players like Robert Lewandowski on the German side and Marco Verratti, as well as Mauro Icardi among the French lines.
Bayern seemed the most probable candidates to retain the European trophy but, after what seen tonight, many football pundits may need to go back to the drawing board.
♦️ Our starting XI to take on @PSG_English tonight ♦️ #MiaSanMia #FCBPSG #packmas #UCL pic.twitter.com/PZMjbUZKO6
— ???FC Bayern English??? (@FCBayernEN) April 7, 2021
In absence of Lewandowski, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting led the charge on the front line for Bayern and hit the post with a phenomenal strike very early in the game. It seemed the prelude to a dominating performance for the home side, but it was rather PSG to find the back of the net twice in the first half thanks to two brilliant assists from Neymar.
After just three minutes, O Ney released Kylian Mbappé who took advantage of a rare Manuel Neuer oversight to open the scoring. Neymar’s second service was for his fellow countryman Marquinhos, who left no chance to the German goalkeeper before picking up an injury and being forced to leave the pitch.
Bayern reacted and halved the deficit before the end of the first half as Choupo-Mouting adjusted his aim and safely headed the ball home this time from a Benjamin Pavard cross.
Tonight's starting 1⃣1⃣ ? @FCBayern #FCBPSG
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 7, 2021
?? #WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/eiguZYo16Z
Hans-Dieter Flick’s troop restarted the game with more courage but their hopes crashed into Keylor Navas who pulled out at least three key saves to keep the score unchanged. On the other hand, it took a super Alphonso Davies clearance right on the goal line to prevent the French from making it three.
Bayern eventually drew level on 60 minutes with another header, this time from Thomas Muller who made the best out of a Joshua Kimmich set piece.
Still, their delusion lasted only eight more minutes as a lethal Mbappé counterattack opened a gash into the home defense and earned PSG a prestigious away win. In the last 20 minutes, there was some playing time for Azzurro Moise Kean but the score didn’t change anymore.
Seven day from now in Paris, the Germans will need to win by two (or by one in an unlikely 3-4 goal fest) to keep nurturing their hopes of back-to-back wins of the top European trophy. But, if the Parisiens are those seen tonight, booking a place into the Champions League Semis is not going to be easy at all for the German champions.
? @KMbappe ↔️ @neymarjr ?#?????? pic.twitter.com/ZHQVMwXDnt
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 7, 2021
MATCH REPORT
April 7, 2021 – Champions League 2020-21 Quarter Finals
BAYERN MUNICH-PARIS ST. GERMAIN 2-3
SCORERS: 3′, Mbappé (P), 28′ Marquinhos (P), 37′ Choupo-Moting (B), 60′ Muller (B), 68′ Mbappé (P)
BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Pavard, Sule (42′ Boateng), Alaba, Hernandez; Kimmich, Goretzka (33′ Davies); Sané, Müller, Coman; Choupo-Moting (J. Martinez, Sarr, Kouassi, Nubiel, Musiala) Coach: Flick | |
PARIS ST. GERMAIN (4-2-3-1): Keylor Navas; Dagba, Marquinhos (31′ Herrera), Kimpembe, Diallo (46′ Bakker); Gueye, Danilo; Di Maria (71′ Kean), Draxler, Neymar (91′ Rafinha); Mbappé) (Kehrer, Alcantara, Rico, Sarabia, Letellier, Pembelé, Nagera, Kamara) Coach: Pochettino |
REFEREE: Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Hernandez, Kimmich, Boateng, Choupo-Moting (B), Draxler (P); Extra Time: First Half 2′, Second Half 2′