Bayern Munich neutralise PSG, Mbappe in Champions League

PARIS — Bayern Munich took management of their Champions League round-of-16 match with Paris Saint-Germain as Kingsley Coman’s objective gave them a 1-0 victory at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

Bayern dominated a lot of the sport and had possibilities to double their lead after Coman’s 53rd-minute winner. Up to that time, the likes of Leo Messi and Neymar have been struggling to seek out their method into the match, and it was the introduction of Kylian Mbappe in the second half that shifted the steadiness of the sport again into the hosts’ favour.

Mbappe had two targets disallowed due to offside, whereas Messi had a shot turned over by a superb block from Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard. But Pavard’s late crimson card for a second bookable offence was the one blight on an in any other case near-perfect night for Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich. PSG and supervisor Christophe Galtier have all of it to do if they’re to overturn this deficit in Munich on March 8 for the return leg.

Rapid response

1. Bayern Munich’s well-executed sport plan ensures the win

For about 75 minutes, Bayern loved full management of the match. The first half was a dire affair for either side, restricted to at least one probability from Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich, however the guests’ resolute setup prevented PSG from moving into the sport. They pushed and pulled PSG for the primary 45 minutes, testing them out with jabs, however then waited till the opening phases of the second half to begin touchdown a sequence of haymakers.

The successful punch got here from one in all PSG’s former sons, Coman — the identical man who scored the winner when the 2 groups met in the Champions League ultimate again in 2020. It was a neatly labored objective as half-time substitute Alphonso Davies’ cross discovered an unmarked Coman, who side-footed it dwelling beneath goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Coman did not have a good time, the group went silent and Bayern trotted again to the midway line to plan one other sequence of fastidiously crafted assaults.

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That gave Bayern the platform to go shut once more with Donnarumma, pushing a Eric Choupo-Moting header onto the put up and Dayot Upamecano planting a close-range header off a nook straight on the Italian goalkeeper. They have been in management with Kimmich and Leon Goretzka suffocating the center of the pitch, with Jamal Musiala dropping deep when required to snaffle up a unfastened ball. The similar went for Choupo-Moting, whose motion upfront pushed and pulled the PSG defence out of place and allowed Coman to get that area for the opener.

In quick, PSG barely had a sniff for 75 minutes or so, till they unleashed Mbappe. VAR twice got here to Bayern’s help with Mbappe having two targets dominated out via offside. The first was apparent — coming after his break noticed a shot effectively saved at shut vary by Yann Sommer. Sommer then parried the rebound effort from Neymar into Mbappe’s path however he was effectively offside. Mbappe had one other close-range end that was once more chalked out by VAR for the slimmest of margins. Lionel Messi lastly had a good probability in the 84th minute, however Pavard acquired in a key block. Bayern have been lastly scrambled, however the core of the group stayed true and guided them to a vastly necessary 1-0 victory. Nagelsmann gained this battle of the minds.

2. Mbappe could not save a PSG aspect that regarded misplaced with out him

When Mbappe picked up the hamstring damage in the beginning of February, he was given a three-week timetable for restoration. But Mbappe is not like different athletes, and there he was on the hour-mark prepared to return on and save PSG.

At that stage, PSG had a lowly anticipated targets, or xG, of 0.04, which means they hadn’t generated any half-decent scoring possibilities. Their star energy had misfired, with the one hazard to Sommer’s focus in objective coming from the smoke from the flares lit by Bayern followers.

PSG’s first half was, in a phrase, dismal. They barely threatened, and so they fumbled a free kick on the sting of the field the place Neymar dummied, and Messi hit a drive straight on the wall. It summed up their first 45 minutes: hapless and ineffective. Neymar pressed, Messi regarded pissed off and people out vast — corresponding to Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and the 16-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery, who turned the teen ever participant to begin a knockout sport in the lads’s Champions League — have been left remoted.

Mbappe did spark PSG to life and it was his tempo and motion that gave the hosts the impetus for that late strain on Bayern’s objective. Even if he was solely half match, it was nonetheless a outstanding cameo and Bayern will probably be absolutely conscious of his menace after they meet once more in Munich. But it must be alarming for PSG that they regarded so toothless with out Mbappe — they’ve sufficient star energy to threaten the perfect in Europe, however with out him they regarded like a set of people reasonably than a group.

3. Pavard crimson card places a damper on Champions League return leg

It was almost an ideal night for Bayern Munich. But that late crimson card for Pavard shifted the steadiness of this tie ever so barely.

He’s indispensable on the suitable aspect of Nagelsmann’s three-man defensive system, and he did a superb job of holding Neymar quiet for a lot of the sport. But his reckless problem on Messi in damage time was expensive, as he picked up his second reserving of the sport so as to add to the one he was handed in the primary half for his deal with on Neymar.

Bayern Munich bolstered their group effectively in January. They coated the injured absentees goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and left-back Lucas Hernandez with the signings of Yann Sommer and Joao Cancelo, respectively. But if Nagelsmann goes to proceed with that three-man central defence, then Pavard goes to be arduous to interchange.

The second leg may see Bayern shift to a again 4 as a substitute, or Nagelsmann may choose to convey in Daley Blind on the left of a again three, nevertheless it’s a headache Nagelsmann may do with out.

Best and worst performers

Best: Kingsley Coman, Bayern Munich

Outstanding in opposition to his former aspect as he was but once more the person who broke PSG hearts.

Best: Dayot Upamecano, Bayern Munich

Rock strong in the center of Bayern’s defence, a superb efficiency.

Best: Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich

Controlled the whole lot in the center of the park for Bayern.

Worst: Achraf Hakimi, PSG

Substituted at half-time after failing to make an influence on the match.

Worst: Neymar, PSG

A poor efficiency from the PSG star. Only had a few half possibilities and solely got here to life as soon as Mbappe was on.

Worst: Joao Cancelo, Bayern Munich

Perhaps harsh, however was taken off at half-time and Alphonso Davies supplied extra, albeit on the alternative flank with Coman shifting over.

Highlights and notable moments

After a lackluster first half in which PSG barely acquired into the attacking third in any respect and Bayern Munich had solely a lot as a sniff at objective, the second half introduced a extra decisive begin.

French ahead Kingsley Coman put Bayern up in the 53rd minute, ending a lofted cross from Canadian full-back Alphonso Davies.

The Parisian Kingsley Coman haunts his former membership.

Gianluigi Donnarumma won’t wish to see that once more. 😅 pic.twitter.com/OFXG91MufH

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2023

Kylian Mbappe got here on in its place in the 57th minute for PSG.

He thought he scored the equaliser in the 73rd minute, however VAR dominated it offside.

VAR denies Kylian Mbappe and PSG. 💔 pic.twitter.com/e1jNVrxjpI

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2023

It wasn’t all good for Bayern Munich, nevertheless.

Benjamin Pavard, Bayern’s beginning right-back, earned a second yellow and noticed crimson for a tricky foul on Lionel Messi.

Benjamin Pavard will out of the return leg after choosing his second yellow card. 🟥 pic.twitter.com/bGGe0Jfem1

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2023

After the match: What the managers and gamers stated

Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern Munich head coach: “We played really well in the first 25 minutes. We were a bit surprised by how much of the ball we had. We didn’t expect Paris to be so passive; it was a good first half. After the break, we had a great start and then things hung in the balance a little, though the two times they really threatened it was offside.”

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bayern Munich ahead: “We definitely had good phases. The first 25 minutes were good. We also started the second half well. In the end it was quite close, but Paris are a very good team, so we are very happy that we won. Everyone showed that we wanted to win today, and as a team. We know we have individual quality, but we need to bring it together on the pitch and fight from the first to the last minute.”

Sergio Ramos, PSG defender: “I’m very disappointed for the supporters. We’ll have to show more character in the second leg, and more verticality. We want to win and be the best we can be, but this is the nature of football. Sometimes we play well, sometimes we play badly. What counts is the final result. The more we play, the more experience we’ll have. It will get better and better.”

Kylian Mbappe, PSG ahead: “It was difficult, unpredictable. I wasn’t supposed to play but I wanted to play and help my mates. We did everything, we worked night and day to get me some game time. I wanted to [start the game]. But sometimes you have to be satisfied with what you can do, and that’s all I could do.”

Key stats (offered by ESPN Stats & Information analysis)

• PSG have now misplaced three video games straight, and it is the primary time the trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have ever misplaced that many in a row since becoming a member of PSG.

• This is PSG’s first dwelling loss since April 28, 2021, in a UEFA Champions League semifinal in opposition to Manchester City. PSG had prevented defeat at dwelling in 40 consecutive matches throughout all competitions (33-0-7 W-L-D).

• This is the primary time in the previous 15 years that PSG did not register a shot heading in the right direction in the primary 70 minutes of a house Champions League sport. (Kylian Mbappe first put a shot heading in the right direction in the 73rd minute.)

• At 16 years and 343 days outdated, PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery turned the youngest participant to begin a UEFA Champions League knockout stage sport.

• Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman scored his second profession objective in opposition to his former membership, PSG. Alphonso Davies assisted on the objective, and he now has one objective and two assists in his previous 4 video games performed (all competitions).

• The previous 4 UEFA Champions League knockout stage targets conceded by PSG have been scored by French gamers (Coman on Tuesday and three from Karim Benzema final season).

Up subsequent

Paris Saint-Germain: Les Parisiens shift their focus again to Ligue 1 after they host Lille on Sunday at 7 a.m. ET. Their subsequent Champions League fixture is the return leg of the round-of-16 sequence in opposition to Bayern Munich in Germany on Wednesday, March 8 at 3 p.m. ET.

Bayern Munich: Die Bayern resume their Bundesliga marketing campaign with a go to to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday (stream reside on ESPN+ at 9:30 a.m. ET). The Bavarians will choose again up with the Champions League after they host PSG on Wednesday, March 8 at 3 p.m. ET at Allianz Arena.