Paris Saint-Germain secured a thrilling 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in an action-packed UEFA Champions League semi-final clash at Parc des Princes. It was an entertaining contest filled with goals, attacking football and late drama, as PSG made the most of their chances while Bayern’s relentless pressure was not enough to complete a comeback.
The statistics reflected Bayern’s dominance in several areas, but PSG’s clinical finishing and determined defending proved decisive.
Goals and major incidents
Harry Kane gave Bayern the lead in the 17th minute from the penalty spot. PSG responded quickly as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia equalised on 24 minutes after being set up by Désiré Doué.
The home side moved ahead on 33 minutes when João Neves finished from a delivery by Ousmane Dembélé.
Bayern restored parity before the break through Michael Olise, who scored in the 41st minute after an assist from Aleksandar Pavlović.
Following a VAR review deep into stoppage time, Dembélé calmly converted a penalty in the 45th minute plus added time to hand PSG a 3-2 advantage at halftime.
PSG extended their lead shortly after the restart. Kvaratskhelia grabbed his second goal in the 56th minute from Achraf Hakimi’s assist before Dembélé added another two minutes later after a pass from Doué to make it 5-2.
Bayern fought back strongly. Dayot Upamecano reduced the deficit on 65 minutes from a Joshua Kimmich assist, while Luis Díaz scored three minutes later after combining with Kane.
Another Díaz effort in the 70th minute was ruled out following a VAR review. PSG also suffered an injury setback late on as Nuno Mendes was forced off and replaced by Lucas Hernandez.
Match statistics
Bayern controlled possession with 57 per cent and registered a higher expected goals tally of 2.51 compared to PSG’s 1.91. The German side also recorded eight shots on target, while PSG managed five.
However, PSG were ruthless in front of goal, converting every shot on target into goals.
Defensively, the French champions stood firm when it mattered most, producing 29 clearances compared to Bayern’s nine. Bayern had 52 touches inside the PSG penalty area and created six major chances, but failed to convert several key opportunities.
In goal, Manuel Neuer endured a difficult evening, failing to make a save, while Matvey Safonov made two important stops for PSG.
Standout performers
Kvaratskhelia was among PSG’s best players, earning a Sofascore rating of 8.4 after scoring twice from two shots on target. Dembélé also impressed with a rating of 8.2 after contributing two goals and an assist.
Vitinha played a key role in midfield with three key passes, while João Neves combined his goal with several defensive contributions.
For Bayern, Kane delivered another strong performance, recording a goal and an assist to finish with a match rating of 8.7. Díaz also stood out with a goal and a big chance created, while Olise added a goal and troubled PSG’s defence throughout the match.
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