Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

• That 1-0 should be cherished as a gift from the gods. Bayern Munich played poorly and PSG played worse. If not for Christophe Galiter fielding the worst setup known to man in the first half, maybe subbing on Mbappe in the second could’ve done something.
• Kingsley Coman is unarguably MotM. Let’s hope his injury isn’t serious, though it didn’t look good.
• It’s baffling how Leroy Sane played the full 90 minutes. He should’ve been subbed for Thomas Muller, not Choupo. Why did Nagelsmann even play the final 10 minutes without a striker?
• Benjamin Pavard’s red card is unfortunate. Now Bayern either can’t use a back three in the return leg or have to rely on Daley Blind. Then again, if he hadn’t tackled, Messi would’ve been through ...
• Yann Sommer earned his keep today. He didn’t make many saves, but the ones he did were crucial.

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Interested in a more in-depth and critical look at the performance? Why not check out our postgame podcast? Listen to it below or on Spotify.

As always, we appreciate all the support!

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Full time: Bayern Munich win 1-0 at the Parc des Princes.

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90’ — RED CARD! Benjamin Pavard sent off for a challenge on Leo Messi, it was his second yellow.

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81’ — OFFSIDE. Bayern get a huge let off. Mbappe scores but Mendes was offside in the buildup.

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73’ — TWO shots by PSG, two saves by Sommer. Mbappe does score from a final rebound, but it’s offside.

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56’ — Sub: Kylian Mbappe is ON.

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53’ — GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Kingsley Coman makes it 1-0! Davies assist. Arguably an error by Donnarumma.

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45’ — Second half kicks off! Alphonso Davies comes on for Joao Cancelo at halftime.

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Halftime observations and analysis

• PSG have played with the intensity of a dead fish. They stink. It’s too bad that Bayern Munich also seem toothless, because in a normal game the team should’ve scored a dozen goals by now.
• Chance creation is at an all-time low for Bayern. Musiala and Sane are non-factors. Donnarumma has hardly had to touch the ball — the only save he made was from a long range effort from Kimmich late in the first half.
• Champions League commentary remains poor as usual.
• Matthijs de Ligt needs to be a bit more careful with his defending. That foul conceded to Messi late in the half was so unnecessary.
• Kingsley Coman has been the most effective attacker so far.

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Halftime: Nothing to report. Wasted first half.

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Kickoff: We’re underway!

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One and a half hours until kickoff: We have lineups! Bayern Munich starts with a back three as expected, with Julian Nagelsmann opting for Leon Goretzka over Thomas Muller in the starting XI. Kingsley Coman also starts ahead of Alphonso Davies, most likely in a left wingback role, while Joao Cancelo starts on the right.

Meanwhile for PSG, it’s a back four. No Mbappe in the XI, he’s on the bench. Side note: Society has moved past the need for video lineup posts.

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The funny thing about the Champions League Round of 16 is that the teams draw each other MONTHS before any games are played. So Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have effectively been staring at this date since November, waiting for the moment where they can finally go at it on the pitch.

Julian Nagelsmann has a lot to prove here. After last year’s failure against Villarreal, the club and its fans won’t tolerate an early exit from the Champions League. Meanwhile over in France, PSG’s Qatari masters demand results in the only competition that matters to them.

The stakes here could only be higher in a final. Despite injuries, Bayern are bringing a full complement of stars to Paris, including the likes of Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, the newly signed Joao Cancelo, and more. They’ll be met by one of the deadliest front-threes in world football in the form of Leo Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar. This is what the CL is all about.

It’s Bayern time.

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While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our podcast? We do an in-depth preview of the game, including the consequences for Nagelsmann should he fail to win. Listen to it below or on Spotify.

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Match Info

Location: Parc des Princes, Paris, France

Time: 9:00 pm local time, 3:00 pm EST

TV/streaming: Paramount+, Find Your Country

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