Champions League semi for the ages as holders PSG beat Bayern 5-4
Paris Saint-Germain's Fabian Ruiz (L) and Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich battle for the ball during the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at Parc des Princes. Federico Gambarini/dpa Title holders Paris Saint-Germain squandered a three-goal lead but held on to beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in a Champions League semi-final first leg match for the ages on Tuesday night and all to play for in the return leg in Germany next week. Bayern led from a Harry Kane penalty in the 17th but PSG turned matters around from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 24th and João Neves in the 33rd and were 3-2 up after a breathless first half from Ousmane Dembélé's stoppage time spot kick after Michael Olise had levelled for the visitors in the 41st.
The goalfest at Parc des Princes between the arguably two best sides of the competition continued after the break when Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé got a quickfire double for 5-2 in the 56th and 58th. But Bayern, without their coach Vincent Kompany on the touchline due to suspension, were far from beaten and back within one from Dayot Upamecano in the 65th and Luis Díaz three minutes later. Record breaking nine goals That made it the highest-scoring semi-final in the Champions League era and the joint highest in overall competition history, along with Eintracht Frankfurt's 6-3 victory at Rangers in the 1960 semis.
PSG ended a run of five straight defeats against Bayern in the elite event, including a 2-1 home defeat in this season's league stage, but there is no real favourite to pick ahead of next week Wednesday's return leg who will go to the May 30 final in Budapest. The other first leg semi is on Wednesday between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal. All to play for, Enrique says “I’ve never seen a game with that rhythm before.
You have to congratulate the opponents, the players," PSG coach Luis Enrique told Canal+. "When you hold a 5-2 lead like that, the opponents take so many risks – they’re a top-level side. It was difficult, and the second leg will be too.
You have to enjoy it, and you have to recognise this is just the third game they’ve lost all season. " Nothing to lose for Bayern Kane told Prime Video: "I think we saw two high-level teams out there today, especially in the attacking play and in the transitions, the speed, the intensity. Two of the top teams going toe-to-toe.
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