Fifteen minutes before the end, the game suddenly comes to a standstill in the Parc des Princes in the southwest of Paris. A phase of just ten minutes, in which we explore an evening that brought unprecedented speed, beautiful goals, refined technique and top football at its purest.
It cannot last long, that period of relative peace. Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich is too open and too beautiful for that to end in some kind of sporting truce. A final chord should not be missing from this performance.
Four minutes before the end, the young French midfielder Senny Mayulu is given some space – he has just come on for one of the absolute stars, the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Mayulu controls, strikes with the left, full on the intersection. That was still missing – a ball on the post or crossbar. Deep into injury time, a subtle, clever header follows from Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, which PSG defender Willian Pacho is able to clear just before the line.
These are footnotes on an unparalleled football evening that continued to fascinate. PSG ended 5-4 against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. That is perhaps the joyful conclusion after 95 minutes of football including injury time: it is still completely open for the return next Wednesday in the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Mental resilience
Although the question is whether it can be better than the first part. It has everything. The spaces that are found with brilliant deep passes and ditto runs, leading to continuous switching moments. The finesse on the square meter, with assumptions that are almost too fast to see with the naked eye. The power and precision of the goals, so efficient and at the same time masterfully finished.
The mindset to stay in combination with the mental resilience – PSG turned a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 lead within fifteen minutes and Bayern turned a 5-2 deficit into 5-4 in twenty minutes. Football of a different order.
“One of the most beautiful competitions in recent memory,” writes the influential English football journalist Henry Winter, previously working for The Timeson X. „Positivity in motion. Total football, total entertainment.” PSG coach Luis Enrique had “never seen such intensity and physical level,” he said. “We must congratulate everyone.”
Ousmane Dembele celebrates PSG’s 5-2 with his teammates.
Photo Alain JOCARD / AFP
It is an extremely sporting, fair fight. There is no visible time-consuming or posturing, players do not try to talk cards to each other, feigned falls are hardly visible. That is why only five minutes of injury time in total over two halves.
It’s about creativity, entertainment, finding openings – less about defending or delaying. From the first minute they fly forward without compromise and full of risk – apparently unhindered by an excess of tactical instructions from the new top coaches in European football, Luis Enrique (PSG) and Vincent Kompany (Bayern).
The variation, position changes, speed and depth in PSG’s attacking game – with Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Kvaratskhelia – are almost indefensible, says coach Arne Slot of Liverpool FC, which was eliminated from the Champions League by the French top club earlier this month for the second year in a row. Inter Milan also knows it, after the 5-0 defeat in the final last year.
Elusive free running
The match was undeniably final-worthy in advance, with Bayern Munich having climbed back to the European top under Kompany. They all delivered, especially the attackers – although the right back at PSG (Achraf Hakimi) is also a half-forward.
It is the silent, elusive free-running after forty minutes of winger Michael Olise, Bayern’s latest discovery – after Jamal Musiala. About six PSG players surround Olise in the ashes about thirty meters from the goal. He takes the ball, turns smoothly towards the goal, dribbles a bit, remains very calm on the ball as he walks into the penalty area, with four PSG players close to him. He shoots in concealed but hard – the 2-2.
Bayern striker Michael Olise makes it 2-2.
Photo ANP / EPA
Kvaratskhelia’s beautiful first goal is almost forgotten. Doué suddenly appeared in the preparation as a left half, around the halfway line. You see Doué beckoning to Kvaratskhelia, ‘go deep’. Doué holds back, totally in control despite the pressure put on him.
Kvaratskhelia knows enough, he sprints away on the left flank. Doué’s perfect pass comes, the agile Bayern back Josip Stanisic almost falls over when Kvaratskhelia’s dancing feints in the corner of the penalty area. The feeling he gives to the shot is out of category, swinging through with his right leg, full effect with the inside of his foot.
So clean, in the far corner – the inside of the post is not even necessary (1-1).
The fact that Bayern and PSG are still so strong and fit in the decisive phase of the season is probably due to their dominance in their own country. Bayern is already national champion, PSG is almost there. Many players in the Premier League, considered the most physically demanding competition in the world, are tired. Bayern and PSG can work towards the Champions League matches in a focused manner – there is less tough opposition at the weekend. Bayern and PSG also had a decent winter break, while there was hardly any in England.
It perhaps explains the superiority in the deep sprint and ball control of the Colombian Bayern attacker Luis Diaz, who played for Liverpool FC last season, halfway through the second half. He immediately puts the ball in the right position with a clever first tap with his right foot, after striker Harry Kane’s pass. Then a feint shot, hold it in for a moment, his opponent Marquinhos is a fraction confused. Diaz thus creates space for the excellent shot in the far corner. The ninth goal of the evening – and it would remain at 5-4.
Looking ahead to the return in Munich next week, Kompany said: “I can’t wait.”
