MUNICH — Bayern Munich booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with goals in the second half of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and serge gnabry it sealed a 2–0 victory and ended Paris Saint-Germain’s last attempt to win their first European Cup.
PSG, who lost to Bayern in Lisbon in their only Champions League final to date in 2020, fell 3-0 on aggregate after losing the first leg 1-0 in Paris. The defeat is now likely to cause quite a stir in the Parc des Princes, with several veteran players out of contract at the end of the season.
quick reaction
1. PSG project falters again as Bayern prove their pedigree
Big changes await at Paris Saint-Germain this summer after their expensively assembled team once again failed to reach Champions League glory. After being knocked out in the round of 16 by Real Madrid last season, the French champions had the misfortune of being paired with another Champions League heavyweight in Bayern Munich on the same stage this time around, and the match was repeated once. same story. again.
All PSG’s Qatari owners have to prove that their gigantic investment in the club is one last appearance. As such, the policy of spending big to sign superstars like Lionel Messi, neymar, kylian mbappe and Sergio Ramos they have failed to deliver the biggest trophy of all in the club game.
Both Messi and Ramos are out of contract this summer and neither did enough against Bayern to suggest they should be given a new contract, while Mbappé failed to produce the great performance expected from a player of his stature. With Neymar injured once again (an ankle injury will keep him out for the rest of the season), this loss feels like a huge moment in PSG’s relatively short history.
Do the owners continue with the same big spending approach or do they break it and start over? They have plenty of time to answer that question now that PSG have suffered yet another early exit from the Champions League.
Some clubs can’t succeed in the competition no matter how much they spend (Manchester City are also hoping to win it for the first time), but teams like Bayern and Real have the secret ingredient that ensures consistent success. Bayern had to weather an early storm from PSG before taking control of this game, but once Choupo-Moting put them ahead on 60 minutes, a draw was assured.
PSG’s all-star team simply didn’t live up to their expectations and Bayern brushed them aside. This is not a classic Bayern team, but no one will want to play them in the later stages simply because they know how to win in this competition. Unlike PSG.
– Broadcast on ESPN+: The leagueBundesliga, plus (USA)
– Champions League knockout round draw: full details
2. The World Cup triumph feels like a lifetime ago for Messi
This could have been the game in which Messi saw his last chance at one more Champions League crown disappear forever. The PSG striker will be almost 37 when the 2024 final rolls around, and he may not even be playing in Europe by then if clubs in Saudi Arabia and MLS can persuade him to look for a new challenge when his contract expires at the Parc des Princes. this summer.
Messi already has four Champions League winners’ medals with Barcelona and unforgettably won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar last December, so he has nothing else to accomplish in the game. However, he joined PSG in 2021 with the challenge of helping the French team finally win their first Champions League, and for the second straight season, he and PSG were knocked out in the round of 16.
However, what was noticeable against Bayern, in both games, was how little Messi was able to contribute when it really mattered. The knockout rounds of the Champions League are the absolute pinnacle of the game in terms of quality, and the level is much higher than the World Cup.
Messi has simply had a hard time putting the glove on Bayern on two legs. At 35, he is no longer the unstoppable force of his youth, but he was able to top that in Qatar.
However, this is a different level, and Bayern made it look normal. That reality could make Messi decide to retire this summer, before he finds it even more difficult next season.
3. Musiala carries Bayern’s hopes, but needs help
There was a lot of talent on the Allianz Arena field for this match, but no player shone more than Bayern’s jamal musiala. PSG had no answer for the 20-year-old as he stormed through with pace and determination, and it was only poor finishing from his teammates that denied Musiala the chance to decide the game.
Now that Bayern are heading to the quarter-finals, they know they have a player in Musiala who can cause any of the favorites problems en route to the final in Istanbul, but Julian Nagelsmann’s side need someone else to help them out. Musiala to carry the load.
Could be sadio manewho replaced Musiala as a late substitute, or leroy sane. The likes of Gnabry and kingsley eat They also have the ability to be match winners. In midfield, the strength and energy of Leon Goretzka aid Thomas Muller beat games and center matchmaking Dayot Upamecano and matthijs de ligt Both are still capable of living up to the expectations that accompanied their respective breakthroughs in recent seasons.
Right now, though, only Musiala looks like the world-class player Bayern used to have in spades. He’s the one who provides the spark for Nagelsmann’s team, but it would be asking too much to expect him to steer Bayern to Champions League glory on his own.
Best and worst performers
BEST: Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old striker was Bayern’s best player, always probing and trying to find the pass to create an opening. He head and shoulders above the rest.
BEST: Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich. The Bayern star dominated midfield and his shoulder charge on Messi in the first half summed up how he approached this game. No quarter is given.
BEST: Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich. It seems to have been around forever, and has been written off many times, but the 33-year-old turned the block with a great performance for Bayern.
WORST: Sergio Ramos, PSG. The PSG defender sometimes served as his team’s centre-forward, leaving his four defenders open to Bayern attacks. He spent too much time going forward when he should have been defending.
WORST: Kylian Mbappé, PSG. The PSG talisman spoke of his team as favourites, despite a 1-0 first-leg deficit, but for that claim to be justified, he had to lead PSG to victory. He did not. He hardly worried Bayern.
WORST: showcasepsg. He had a golden opportunity to open the scoring for PSG in the first half, but he wasn’t clinical enough with an empty net open. A great moment in the tie.
Highlights and Highlights
Choupo-Moting? Yes, he’s excited. However, take a look at Nagelsmann. This is what genuine emotion looks like.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting frequents his old club!
Marco Verratti comes under pressure and Bayern Munich punishes PSG. 💥 pic.twitter.com/vmMtH7QfYh
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2023
After the game: what the players/coaches had to say
Nagelsmann: “In the first half we did not do very well what we had talked about before. There was too much space. In the second half we defended better and were dangerous with the ball. In the end, we deserved to win.”
PSG coach Christophe Galtier: “The difference with Bayern? Squad availability. We had a lot of important casualties in the first game and in the second game. It’s still a big disappointment, everyone is disappointed, me the first. We had high hopes for this second leg.” .”
Key statistics (provided by ESPN Stats & Information research)
– Choupo-Moting’s goal was his third in five career matches against his former team, PSG.
– Wednesday marked the tenth time that PSG have gone goalless in a Champions League knockout round game.
– Five of Bayern’s last six goals against PSG in the Champions League have been scored by players who previously played for the Parisians: three for Choupo-Moting, two for Coman.
Until next time
Bayern Munich: The Bavarians return to the Allianz Arena on Saturday for a Bundesliga game against FC Augsburg (9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, broadcast live on ESPN+).
Paris Saint Germain: PSG will also be in action on Saturday, when the Parisians travel to Brittany for a Ligue 1 game against Brest.
