The champion earned the right to defend his crown, to put his name in the history books, aspiring to become the second team to repeat the title in the Champions – only Zidane’s Madrid did it. PSG will face Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest in a final where they will carry the burden of being the favorite. And not just for being the champion, no, also because they eliminated Bayern after a colossal tie, culminated this Wednesday at the Allianz with a second-half display of managing the match for the memory. The Parisian team is a capitalized team, a consolidated project in the image and likeness of Luis Enrique, who threatens to reign in Europe in the purest Louis XIV style.
With the bar higher than ever after the festival at the Parc des Princes, it seemed difficult to reach that level of passion and spectacle again. But the start of the match invited thinking of the best, preparing several bowls of popcorn, and letting the goals follow one another. The third minute had not passed when Dembélé increased PSG’s advantage in the tie by shooting Neuer. The action was born in a wall pass in midfield between Kvaratskhelia and Fabián, the great novelty in the starting eleven – great news for Luis de la Fuente – which gave way to a run by the Georgian, who lifted his head and wrapped the gift for the Ballon d’Or.
With this scenario, it was difficult not to dream of another score for the legend. The duel kept the revolutions high but the goals did not come. Olise soon forced a yellow card on Nuno Mendes and seemed to take the advantage in a magnificent duel. The full-back then committed some handballs that the referee overturned to the monumental anger of Kompany, while Luis Enrique identified the problem and ordered Fabián to help the Portuguese.
An early goal by Dembélé strengthened a PSG that did not even suffer after Kane’s equalizer in added time
Bayern did not seem to feel the blow because they took control of the match for a good while. Luis Díaz was their great channeler, giving several scares to Safonov. Also Olise, who, seeking perfection, missed the top corner by a meter.
PSG tried to catch their breath, calm the spirits a bit, and take possession of the ball. The French side also appreciated that both VAR and referee Pinheiro looked the other way at some clear handballs by Joao Neves in their own area. Once the spirits calmed, even the Allianz usher protested the action, the play pushed Bayern again to seek the equalizer. That said, just after the second scare of the night, a header by Neves himself that Neuer deflected to a corner with a tremendous stretch.
Now it was Musiala’s turn, who, like in a relay race, took the baton from Luis Díaz and monopolized the danger of the Bavarians until halftime. The German talent wasted the best chance of the first half, aside from the goal, when taking advantage of a backheel from Olise, he stood alone before Safonov and failed to beat him, a tremendous save by the Russian. A deflected header from Tah closed the curtain and sent both to the dressing rooms.
The second half began with low revolutions, as if both wanted to take a pause after a vertigo-inducing tie. But the scenario was the one chosen by PSG, not by a Bayern that needed something very different. But Luis Enrique’s men were beginning to offer a lesson in match and situation management worthy of football manuals. Not only did they allow Bayern to dominate without giving them a single space, but they took advantage of every chance they had to turn Neuer into the star of the night. Kvaratskhelia and Doué, tremendous in their final stretch, confirmed this. Opposite, Safonov barely had to apply himself a little against Luis Díaz.
PSG controlled everything and let the match run out. Their dominance was such that they did not even suffer when Kane, in added time, equalized the match and, avoiding defeat, gave Bayern the consolation prize after 180 brutal minutes of football in a wonderful semifinal. But the finalist, capitalized, is PSG. That is indisputable.
Technical sheet
1 – Bayern Munich: Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano (Karl, 85′), Tah (Kim Min Jae, 68′), Stanisic (Davies, 68′); Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala (Nico Jackson, 79′), Luis Díaz; Harry Kane.
1 – Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov; Zaire Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes (Mayulu, 85′); Fabián Ruiz (Lucas Hernández, 77′), Vitinha, Joao Neves; Doué (Beraldo, 77′), Dembele (Barcola, 65′) and Kvaratskhelia.
Goals: 0-1, 3′: Dembele. 1-1, 94′: Harry Kane.
Referee: Joao Pinheiro (Portugal). Yellow cards to home players Tah (33′) and Luis Díaz (78′), and visitors Nuno Mendes (8′), Kvaratskhelia (48+’), and Marquinhos (86′).
Incidents: second leg of the Champions League semifinals played at the Allianz Arena in Munich before about 70,000 spectators.
