After a 1-0 win at Paris St. Germain, FC Bayern has a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals in the premier class.
After scoring the golden goal, Kingsley Coman was already in the dressing room when his colleagues in the bend were celebrated by the fans after their successful rendezvous on Valentine’s Day. As in the 2020 premier class final, the Frenchman was again the celebrated hero at Bayern against his former club Paris St. Germain.
Thanks to Coman’s goal after a deserved 1-0 (0-0) in the round of 16 of the Champions League at the troubled PSG, Munich can continue to dream of the much-coveted handle pot.
“On the whole we did well. We still had a few chances in the second half, but we also defended a lot. Paris got some momentum after the changes. The second game won’t be easy,” said goalkeeper Yann Sommer at “Amazon Prime Video”.
By winning the duel with PSG superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, the Munich team put themselves in a very good starting position for the second leg on March 8th in the Allianz Arena. But be careful: two years ago, Paris had won the away game 3-2 and progressed.
Nagelsmann relieved: “First step is done”
Coman scored the goal of the day in the 53rd minute. “This is my home, I was born in Paris. I didn’t want to celebrate, but I’m very happy about the game,” said Coman afterwards. He was substituted in the second half because of a calf problem, but there is no risk of him playing in the second leg on March 8 in Munich.
Coach Nagelsmann said: “The first step has been taken, we now want to take the second step.” Goalkeeper Yann Sommer warned after his first premier class game for Bayern: “The second game in Munich will not be a walk in the park, by no means.”
The star ensemble from Paris, on the other hand, was unable to meet the huge expectations in front of 44,000 spectators in the Prinzenpark for a long time, only after Mbappé (57th) came on did Bayern have to survive a few critical moments. In stoppage time, Benjamin Pavard also saw the yellow-red card (90 + 1, repeated foul play) and is therefore missing in the second leg.
The pressure on PSG is increasing. But Bayern, who missed further goals after taking the lead, would shake their foundations again if they were eliminated early in the premier class.
Mbappé only comes off the bench as a joker
At PSG, miracle striker Mbappé initially sat on the bench as a joker and missed the equalizer (73rd) against a strong summer. For a long time it was questionable whether the 24-year-old could even be there due to a thigh injury.
On the other hand, Messi, who was also injured recently, started alongside Neymar. Coach Christophe Galtier also surprisingly placed Warren Zaire-Emery in midfield, at 16 years and 343 days the youngest starter in a premier league knockout game.
Nagelsmann, who was standing on the sidelines in a fine coat, offered a back three against the “amazing PSG players” (sports director Hasan Salihamidzic). Joshua Kimmich, who was suspended in the league, returned. Thomas Müller only had one seat on the bench until the 76th minute, Nagelsmann spoke of a “very close decision”.
CEO Oliver Kahn had previously made it clear how important the duel is for Bayern. The record champions are “measured by the fact that we are at the top of the Champions League,” he emphasized. Especially after the quarterfinals against outsiders Villarreal last year. “We all have to deliver and want to prove that we belong to Europe’s benchmark,” said Nagelsmann at Prime Video before kick-off.
But also for PSG, which has been waiting in vain for the big hit despite the billions from Qatar, according to defender Sergio Ramos, it was about “sending a message to the world”. The choreography of the PSG fans was correspondingly martial: it showed a huge PSG fist smashing the Bayern coat of arms with a big “Bämm”.
Kimmich with lots of space in the center
Initially, however, it was Bayern who determined the game. That was also due to Messi and Neymar, who, as expected, did little or nothing at the back. The people of Munich, especially Kimmich, had a lot of space in the center.
But that didn’t mean there was a goal threat for a long time because the French closed up the space around the penalty area well and Bayern lacked pace and ideas. The best opportunity before the break was thwarted by Gianluigi Donnarumma with a shot by Kimmich (43′).
After the break, Coman scored from a cross from substitute Alphonso Davies, with the kind help of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Instead of cheering, the man from Munich raised his hands apologetically.
PSG now brought the battered Mbappé, but Choupo-Moting (62nd and 63rd) and Pavard almost made it 2-0. This time Donnarumma was on guard.