Bayern tore Paris SG from all dreams

This giant football duel didn’t quite live up to expectations, but FC Bayern won’t really care. The leaders of the German Bundesliga ultimately qualified confidently for the quarter-finals of the Champions League and cleared a major hurdle with Paris SG.

Of course, the 2-0 (0-0) home win in the Allianz Arena, which was completely sold out with 75,000 spectators, was enough to kick the French ensemble around superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe out of the competition. Bayern had already won the first leg in the Prinzenpark 1-0.

There, Kingsley Coman had been the gold goalscorer, this time Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was the focus. The striker, who once wore the PSG jersey, scored after a cross pass from Leon Goretzka in the 61st minute to make it 1-0 – goal number 17 of the season.

Strong save by de Ligt

The former grandees of the “Reds”, Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, also applauded in the grandstand. The starting point for this direct hit was a mistake by Marco Verratti, who had let Thomas Müller chase the ball away. Something like that is punished at this level.

Well, not always. A similar faux pas was made in the first half by Bayern goalie Yann Sommer, the Swiss had dared to duel with Achraf Hakimi and lost the ball to Vitinha. However, the Portuguese aimed much too weakly at the apparently deserted box, then Matthijs de Ligt appeared and scratched the playing equipment off the line with a powerful sliding tackle. A rescue worth seeing (38th).

Sommer would later mend his blunder. The representative of the still injured Manuel Neuer reflexively defused a header from Sergio Ramos (64th), it could have been 1-1.

But all in all, not enough came from Paris SG, the team fed with millions of sheikhs owed a lot. Messi was inconspicuous for long stretches, Mbappe was rarely able to show his speed, and for captain Marquinhos, the chief of defence, the game was over after 36 minutes due to injury.

“We fought our way in”

Bayern, who have been unbeaten at their home ground for more than a year, defended it skillfully and kept putting pinpricks in the transition game. If you don’t concede a goal against this offensive machine in 180 minutes, you really deserve to get through.

“We knew it would be a difficult task. But we fought our way back and played well,” said Choupo-Moting, who almost scored a brace. A header from the 33-year-old when the score was 0-0 found its way into the net, but the goal didn’t count because Müller – coming from a decent offside position – went very close to the ball and therefore actively intervened (52′). A correct decision. “Joker” Serge Gnabry made it 2-0 in the 89th minute. Out the mouse.

In Paris, the disillusionment is great, this year the first title in the “premier class” will not be the same. Coach Christophe Galtier’s chair wobbles.

There were no goals in London. AC Milan managed promotion with a 1-0 aggregate score against Tottenham.