PSG punished by Bayern after benching star man Kylian Mbappe (15/2/23) Champions League
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 0-1 BAYERN MUNICH: Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game as Bayern edged out a poor PSG in the first leg of their Champions League tie , Kylian Mbappe benched and played 2nd half
Kingsley Coman returned to haunt Paris Saint-Germain as Bayern Munich won the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 at the Parc des Princes.
Coman, who scored the game-winning goal against his former club in the final three years ago, put Bayern ahead early in the second half, while Gianluigi Donnarumma would have been disappointed with his efforts to keep it out.
Coman, who scored the game-winning goal against his former club in the final three years ago, put Bayern ahead early in the second half, while Gianluigi Donnarumma would have been disappointed with his efforts to keep it out.
Bayern was comfortably the better side for the majority of the game, but PSG rallied late with Kylian Mbappe – a second half substitute after a surprise return to fitness in time to play – scoring an offside goal and Yann Sommer making several key saves. Benjamin Pavard was sent off late in the game for a second yellow card, but Bayern held on to win.
Here are five takeaways from a tight Champions League match.
Kingsley Coman haunts PSG again
Kingsley Coman made four first-team appearances for his hometown club, Paris Saint-Germain. Nonetheless, he was allowed to slip through their fingers, like so many other homegrown talents, as the club pursued superstars from elsewhere.
Coman has since thrived at Juventus and Bayern Munich, where he scored the game-winning goal in the Champions League final against PSG. He harmed them once more when he opened the scoring in this Round of 16 tie with an eerily similar goal.
This came from the opposite end of the field, but Coman slipped in unnoticed at the back post to put Bayern ahead and leave PSG with more regrets.
PSG’s poor form continues
Paris Saint-Germain have lost four games since the turn of the year and have been in a slump since the World Cup. All is not well in Paris, as Kylian Mbappe , Lionel Messi, and Neymar have been a shadow of their pre-tournament form.
The dressing room appears to be fractured and divided, with consistent indications of internal feuds.
Bayern dominated both on and off the ball in this anaemic performance. While this match is far from over, the German champions’ performance provided far more reason for optimism than the Ligue 1 leaders’.
Kylian Mbappe benched
It was a minor miracle that Kylian Mbappe played in this game at all; he was expected to be out for another week but made a hasty return to action to play in this game.
PSG’s tempo was far behind that of their opponents without the Frenchman’s pace and directness. Despite lacking full match fitness, his introduction after the hour mark resulted in an immediate improvement.
Mbappe is the team’s talisman, its superstar. His introduction provided a tangible attacking threat, causing Bayern’s backline to drop deeper and creating opportunities for PSG. His fitness for the return leg is critical to their chances of progress.
Bayern Munich were the clear winners as they had not given space to PSG in the first half and Coman the hero for Bayern Munich.
Victory in Paris 🙌
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 14, 2023
♦️ #PSGFCB 0-1 ♦️ pic.twitter.com/Ie1OpVgrN2
Though Bayern Munich won the match, Bayern Munich has had an odd season, topping the Bundesliga and cruising through the Champions League group stage while being unconvincing on large stages.
This game was almost a microcosm of their season; all of the positive signs were present for the majority of the game, but they failed to put their opponents to bed, and a sloppy period in the game almost saw them punished.
Warren Zaire-Emery makes history
Warren Zaire-Emery became the first player in Champions League history to start in a knockout match at the age of 16 years and 343 days.
It was only the teenager’s fourth start of his senior career, with PSG losing to Rennes and Monaco in his previous two appearances in Ligue 1. He undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him, but this was too big a stage for him to make an impact just yet.
