Final hero Kingsley Coman led FC Bayern on cloud nine on Valentine’s Day: After a deserved 1-0 (0-0) in the round of 16 of the Champions League at troubled Paris St. Germain, the German record champions can continue to dream of the coveted handle pot. In a duel with the PSG superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, the Munich team got 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. Coman made it 1-0 for Munich in the 53rd minute. The Frenchman had already decided the final against his ex-club PSG in 2020. 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. Bayern only had to survive a few critical moments after Mbappe was substituted on (57th).
In added time, Benjamin Pavard also saw the yellow-red card (90+1, repeated foul play). 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. At PSG, miracle striker Mbappe initially sat on the bench as a joker and missed the equalizer against a strong Yann Sommer (73rd). 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”.
Bayern determines the game against PSG
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 Mbappe, but Choupo-Moting (62nd and 63rd) and Benjamin Pavard almost made it 2-0. This time Donnarumma was on guard.