EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Bayern Munich 2-3 PSG: UCL Quarter-Finals Match Report

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With a stunning display from Kylian Mbappe, PSG edged past Bayern Munich in a highly intense match at the Allianz Stadium. With the win, the visitors have now got half of their revenge. They have a single goal lead and 3 away goals as they head into the next leg that will be held on the 14th of April.

Bayern Munich were clearly the dominant side with continuous pressing made every now and then. However, the clever play from PSG was enough to catch the hosts off-guard. The French side handed Bayern their 1st Champions League loss since March 2019, ending their 19-match unbeaten streak.

The hosts attempted an extraordinary 31 shots out of which 12 were on target, which was more than double what PSG had attempted. They were also ahead in terms of possession with 60% leaning to their side. However, the brilliance from PSG’s record-breaking signings earned them the deserving win.

BAYERN MUNICH 2-3 PSG TEAM NEWS:

Bayern were without their high-profile striker as Robert Lewandowski was injured during the international break. To make things worse, a day before the match, Serge Gnabry contracted the coronavirus and he will most probably miss the away fixture too. They were also without Corentin Tolisso and Douglas Costa for the evening.

Because of which they featured the same team that secured a win in the Bundesliga against RB Leipzig. Lewandowski’s presence was covered by their secondary striker, Choupo-Moting.

PSG were also without a few important players. Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi were the 2 who had contracted the coronavirus for the French side. Mauricio Pochettino also featured a similar team with a few changes. Danilo replaced Leandro Paredes who was suspended last time out.

Dagba was the other full-back that replaced Keher while Draxler played in Neymar’s position who played as an attacking midfielder for the day. Kylian Mbappe was leading the line in the position where Moises Kean was meant to play.

POST-MATCH ANALYSIS: 1st Half

On a snowy night, PSG started the game on fire. Hardly 3 minutes into the match, Mbappe fired the first goal of the match. Angel Di Maria played a long ball to Neymar, who broke through the Bavarian defence before offloading it to Mbappe. Who slotted it into the back of the net.

PSG were looking threatening every time there was a counter as Neymar was brilliantly moving past the Bayern defence. PSG thought they had extended their lead in the 12th minute but Draxler was called offside. Chances were flying for the hosts but Keylor Navas was simply unbeatable as he denied every possible goal from the opposite side.

Half an hour into the game, Paris finally got the goal they were looking for from their skipper. Neymar’s cross landed directly to Marquinhos who after receiving the ball, sublimely slotted it to the bottom corner. But soon after the goal, the captain was substituted after a suspected injury.

Bayern were fighting very hard to get back into the game, but their efforts were denied every time. However, they finally got one back 10 minutes after they conceded the 2nd goal. Benjamin Pavard crossed the ball into the box which was precisely headed by the Lewandowski replacement into the back of the net.

POST-MATCH ANALYSIS: 2nd Half

Not much time had gone after the start of the 2nd half that PSG almost retained their lead. Neymar’s shot was denied by Neuer, but Di Maria caught the rebound which was stopped on the line by Alphonso Davies.

The Bavarians were finally rewarded in the 60th minute with a goal scored from a cross that was provided by Joshua Kimmich. Thomas Muller made no mistake and placed the aerial ball precisely past the goalkeeper. The game was back on level terms with 2 goals from each side.

However, eight minutes later, PSG were back in front again after Mbappe scored his 2nd goal of the night. Another counter from the Ligue 1 side saw Di Maria release the ball to Mbappe who hammered one to the bottom left corner giving Neuer no chance to make a save.

Bayern then went all-out from that point with many shots. It was a thrilling 20 minutes as it was keeping everyone on their feet. Muller and Alaba came very close to scoring but were unable to get it past the goalkeeper. PSG were finally relieved when the final whistle blew, handing them a precious win.

Although the gap is only by a single goal, PSG has got a 3 away goals advantage as they will be hosting the next fixture at Parc des Princes. The 2nd leg is only going to bring more entertainment for the neutral fans.

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