PARIS.- In a spectacular and authentic scoring festival in the Princes Parkhe Paris Saint-Germain took a slight 5-4 lead over the Bayern Munich in the first leg semi-final of the European Champions League.
The defending champion has a certain bitter taste left since he led 5-2, before the Frenchman’s final goals Dayot Upamecano (65′) and the Colombian Luis Diaz (69′) will reengage the German monarch in the tie and give him oxygen for next week’s return in Munich.
Before that reaction from the Bavarians, the Parisians were exultant thanks to the doubles of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (24′ and 56′) and Ousmane Dembele (45+5′ penalty and 58′) and the goal from Joao Neves (33′), while Bayern scored in the first half through Harry Kane (17′ penalty) and Michael Olise (41′).
The duel on Tuesday, May 5 at the Allianz Arena of Munich will, therefore, dictate a sentence to decide a ticket to the final on the 30th of the same month in Budapest, which they also seek Atlético de Madrid and Arsenalwho play the first leg of their semi-final in the Spanish capital on Wednesday.
From the beginning
The first round of the fight between PSG and Bayern did not disappoint the high expectations generated and had goals, alternatives, excitement and, above all, the flavor of a great European night of football.
A penalty committed by the Ecuadorian Willian Pacho on “Lucho” Díaz was taken advantage of by the essential Kane to open the scoring in the 17th minute and score his thirteenth goal in this Champions League, just two behind the top scorer of this edition, the already eliminated Kylian Mbappé (real Madrid).
With the fright in the body after Marquinhos was cleared between the posts by what could have been the visitors’ second and that Dembélé sent the ball wide in a counterattack alone against Manuel NeuerPSG finally breathed a sigh of relief in the 24th minute thanks to Kvaratskhelia, who received Désiré Doue On the side, he went towards the rival goal from the wing and sent a cross shot that became the tie.
Without taking the foot off the accelerator, a shot by the Frenchman Olise in the 32nd minute was answered by the second Parisian goal, with a shot by the Portuguese João Neves with a header on a serve taken by Dembélé.
Olise, with a shot among a cloud of rivals, balanced again for Bayern, in the 41st minute, before Dembélé put PSG ahead on the brink of half-time, converting a penalty in the 45th + 5th minute.
Luis Díaz, with suspense
The second half seemed to put PSG on the path to a new European final, when they distanced themselves on the scoreboard with two more goals.
Kvaratskhelia scored his team’s fourth with pleasure in the 56th minute, assisted by Achraf Hakimiand the Georgian star, who has ten goals in this Champions League, confirmed himself as a specialist in important matches, a year after having scored in the quarterfinals, in the semifinals and in the final to then propel his team towards the “Orejona”.
Dembélé seemed to be the winner when in the 59th minute he scored the fifth, with a low shot that hit the post before ending up lodged in Neuer’s net.
But Bayern were not dead and closed to 5-4 with two goals in less than ten minutes.
First, the Frenchman Upamecano scored with a header on a ball served by Joshua Kimmichin the 65th minute, before Díaz (69′) added to the festival by receiving a long ball from Kane.
“Lucho’s” goal, initially disallowed for offside, was finally validated after a VAR review.
The game was crazy, with four goals in twelve minutes, and Senny Mayulu He hit the post with a powerful shot in the 87th minute, but the scoreboard did not move any further before a return that once again promises strong emotions.
