MUNICH — Bayern Munich their reservation in championship quarterfinals is the goal in the second half from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting And Serge Gnabry fix a 2-0 win and finish Paris Saint-Germaintheir latest attempt to win their first European Cup.
PSG, which lost to Bayern in Lisbon, Portugal, in their only Champions League final so far in 2020, lost on aggregate 3-0 after losing the first leg 0-1 in Paris. The loss is likely to spark a major upheaval at the Parc des Princes, with several senior players out of contract at the end of the season.
rapid response
1. The PSG project failed again when Bayern proved brave
Big changes are ahead at Paris Saint-Germain this summer after their densely assembled squad once again failed to deliver Champions League glory. After being eliminated in the 16th round by Real Madrid Last season, the defending French champions unfortunately had to partner with another Champions League heavyweight Bayern Munich at the same stage this time around, and it’s a case of the old story.
In the continental tournament, all of PSG’s Qatari owners must show their huge investment in the club as a last resort appearance. Thus, the policy of spending heavily to recruit superstars like Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe And Sergio Ramos failed to award the biggest trophy of all club games.
Both Messi and Ramos are out of contract this summer and neither could go against Bayern enough to suggest that they should be handed a new deal, while Mbappe was unable to produce the stunning display that a Players of his caliber expect to bring. With Neymar injured again — An ankle injury will keep him out for the rest of the season – this defeat looks like a pivotal moment in PSG’s relatively short history.
Do the owners continue with the same big-spending approach or split it up and start over? They have plenty of time to answer that question as PSG are again knocked out of the Champions League early.
Some clubs can’t succeed in the competition no matter how much they spend — City of Manchester are also still waiting to win it for the first time – but teams like Bayern and Real have a secret ingredient that ensures consistent success. Bayern had to weather PSG’s early storm before taking control of this game, but after Choupo-Moting put them ahead in the 60th minute, the draw was in the bag.
PSG’s all-star squad simply didn’t live up to their hype and Bayern brushed them aside. This is not a classic Bayern team, but no one will want to face them at a later stage just because they know how to win this tournament. Not like PSG.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesligaextra (US)
– Champions League knockout draw: Full details
2. World Cup victory feels like a lifetime ago for Messi
This could be the match where Messi sees his last chance for another Champions League crown disappear forever. The PSG forward will be almost 37 years old when the 2024 final plays out and he may not even be playing in Europe at that time if clubs in Saudi Arabia and MLS could convince him to seek a new challenge when his contract expires at the Parc des Princes this summer.
Messi has won four Champions League medals with Barcelona and he won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar this past December, so he has nothing left to gain in the game. However, he joined PSG in 2021 with the challenge of helping the last French team win their first Champions League title, and for the second consecutive season he and PSG were eliminated in the round of 16. .
However, what was remarkable in the match against Bayern in both legs was that Messi was able to contribute very little when it really mattered. The knockout stages of the Champions League are the absolute pinnacle of quality, much more class than the World Cup.
Messi simply struggled to knock Bayern down with both feet. At 35, he is no longer the unstoppable force of his younger years, but he was able to overcome that in Qatar.
However, this is another level and Bayern make him look normal. That fact could make Messi decide to leave this summer, before he finds things even more difficult next season.
3. Musiala brings Bayern hope, but he needs help
There was so much talent on the Allianz Arena in this match, but none shined brighter than the Bayern player. Jamal Musiala. PSG had no answer for the 20-year-old as he attacked with speed and goal, and only a poor finish from his team-mates denied Musiala a chance to decide the game.
As Bayern progressed to the quarter-finals, they knew they had a Musiala player who could trouble any candidate en route to the final in Istanbul, but Julian Nagelsmann’s team needed someone else to step up and help. Musiala burdened.
It may be Sadio’s manelate replacement for Musiala, or Leroy Sane. People like Gnabry and Kingsley Coman There is also the possibility of becoming the match winner. In midfield, the strength and energy of Leon Goretzka help Thomas Muller pass the game and the central defenders Dayot Upamecano And Matthijs de Ligt both are still capable of living up to the hype that has come with their respective breakthroughs in recent seasons.
For now, however, only Musiala looks like the kind of world-class player that Bayern once had in abundance. He is the man who fueled Nagelsmann’s side, but it would be too much to expect him to carry Bayern on his own all the way to Champions League glory.
Best and worst performers
BEST: Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old striker is Bayern’s best player, always probing and trying to find a pass to create an opening. Head and shoulders above the rest.
BEST: Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich. The Bayern star dominated midfield and his first-half shoulder role for Messi summed up how he approached this game. No quarters are given.
BEST: Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich. It looks like it’s been around forever and he’s been wiped out so many times, but the 33-year-old is back with a fantastic performance for Bayern.
WORST: Sergio Ramos, PSG. The PSG defender sometimes acts as the center of his team, which leaves his four defenders exposed to Bayern attacks. Spent too much time going forward when he should have defended.
WORST: Kylian Mbappe, PSG. The PSG talisman has said that his team is the favorite, despite losing 1-0 in the first leg, but for that claim to be proven, he must lead PSG to victory. He didn’t. He hardly caused any trouble for Bayern.
THE WORST: vitinhaPSG. There was a golden opportunity to open the scoring for PSG in the first half, but he was not brave enough in front of an empty goal. A pivotal moment in a tie.
Highlights and remarkable moments
Choupo-Moting? Yes, he is very excited. However, look at Nagelsmann. That’s what excitement really looks like.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting haunts his old club!
Marco Verratti pressured and Bayern Munich punished PSG. 💥 pic.twitter.com/vmMtH7QfYh
– CBS Sports Golazo ️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2023
After the game: What the player/manager said
Nagelsmann: “In the first half, we didn’t do what we said before. There was too much space. We defended better in the second half and held the ball dangerously. In the end, we deserved to win.”
PSG head coach Christophe Galtier: “What’s the difference with Bayern? Force availability. We had a lot of important absences in the first game and in the second. It’s still a big disappointment, everyone is disappointed, I was the first. We had high hopes for this second leg.”
Key stats (powered by ESPN Stats & Information research)
– Choupo-Moting’s third goal in five career matches against his former team, PSG.
– Wednesday marks the 10th time PSG have been held to a goalless draw in a Champions League knockout tie.
– Five of Bayern’s previous six goals against PSG in the Champions League have been scored by former Parisians: three for Choupo-Moting, two for Coman.
Next
Bayern Munich: The Bavarians return to the Allianz Arena on Saturday to face the Bundesliga FC Augsburg (9:30 a.m. ET, broadcast live on ESPN+).
Paris Saint-Germain: PSG are also in action on Saturday, when the Parisians head to Brittany to 1st place prize match against Brest.
