Direct Chronicle
Kylian Mbappé left the infirmary to go into the trenches, into the ruins, into the remains of his team, Paris Saint-Germain, shaken by Bayern for an hour in Paris. His goal, the equalizer when the game was over, brought PSG back to life after a tie in which they seemed lost. VAR annulled it for offside and the wasted celebration was all the French team needed to bounce back after going 0-1 in Munich. Just a moment of happiness, faith, hope in a black context.
0
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi (Kimpembe, min. 45), Sergio Ramos, Nuno Mendes, Verratti, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Danilo Pereira (Vitor Ferreira, min. 75), Carlos Soler (Kylian Mbappe, min. 56), Neymar and Messi
1
Sommer, Dayotchanculle Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard, Matthijs de Ligt, Leon Goretzka, Cancelo (Alphonso Davies, min. 45), Kingsley Coman (Gnabry, min. 75), Joshua Kimmich, Sane (Josip Stanisic, min. 90), Jamal Musiala (Ryan Gravenberch, min. 86) and Choupo-Moting (Müller, min. 75)
Goals 0-1 min 52: Eat Kingsley.
referee MichaelOliver
Yellow cards Benjamin Pavard (min. 25), Kimpembe (min. 70) and Neymar (min. 86)
“The 0: 1 is a close result,” said Mbappé when leaving the dressing room. “I have faith. If we win in Munich, we’ll be in the quarter-finals.”
Bayern is missing Sadio Mané, their most important player. With Messi injured in the adductor muscles, Mbappé recovering from a tear and Neymar out of shape, PSG can’t count on the best version of his characters. Stripped of the creative structure of the two teams, the skeleton provided by the organization is revealed, built from habits, the routine of competition and constant training over months and years. What FC Bayern has as a solid basis and what PSG does not exist or will not come about. Some call it character. Culture, politics, experience, values. Signs of identity that strongly distinguish Bayern from PSG, regardless of the results.
PSG live in a mythical, not too formed notion of football as a series of heroic deeds. This version of ‘A Thousand and One Nights’ does not assume that the big European clubs have grown under the protection of industry rather than dreams. FC Bayern, who preach the factory gospel, know it by heart. The club of Kahn, Hoeneß and Beckenbauer embarks on a profound conversion process in which the method is imposed on everyone, be it Lewandowski, sold, Manuel Neuer, punished, or Thomas Müller, substitute in Paris. There is no more legend there than the combination game, bold, fast and easy to reach the opponent’s area, with the ball occupying all lanes with aggressive men. The search for emotions is the consequence of a long chapter of repetitions in synchronized collective movements. Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s drama is that without quick-witted midfielders, the team didn’t break down completely. Mussiala, the brilliant midfielder, is missing a partner who is at least as clear as he is. Bavaria flies, but never crosses the threshold of the stratosphere.
PSG latched on to what Verratti knew to get out of the suffocating pressure and then the pass axis formed by Messi and Neymar, threatening to seize the initiative for five minutes. Then he went into his field. The bulky Christophe Galtier’s team formed two lines of four and took cover from Donnarumma until the crowd came. With ten players interned on opponents’ ground, Bayern took the space through relentless pressing. There was no room for circulation in the home team area. The personalities who frequent the Parc des Princes’ box, whether their names are Mick Jagger, Nicolas Sarkozy, Michael Jordan or Beyoncé, must have been surprised at how few resources they saw in the world’s most generous team.
Verratti and two others
All PSG offered to get out of the swamp was what Verratti, Neymar and Messi invented to launch desperate counterattacks, relentlessly poorly resolved because alone they could not escape the pressure and finish Ramos and Marquinhos never expected this, and there was no way to add the required players to the attacks. Well covered by Upamecano and de Ligt, Sommer hardly had to intervene in the first half.
The line-up of winger Warren Zaïre-Emery, who at 16 became the youngest player to start in a Champions League game, was a suspicious sign. Gaultier appeared more interested in pleasing the club’s Qatari owners, who are eager to promote their Parisian academy, than fielding a competitive team. Fabián and Vitinha stayed on the bench, two midfielders with the skills to control the ball against an opponent suffering without him and who endured an hour of absolute dominance – 18 shots for and nine against – in Paris. So absolute that even Choupo-Moting in the game he created with Davies boasted a drop between the lines and Coman finished on the other side. The 0:1 at the edge of the hour confirmed the superiority of Bayern and accelerated Gautier’s intervention. The manager removed Zaïre, Soler and Danilo and brought in Fabián, Vitinha and Mbappé. The fans greeted the striker’s performance with a jubilant ovation.
Bayern continued to attack wildly. Choupo-Moting and De Ligt forced Donnarumma to draw two amazing hands and the bat prevented the 0-2. But by then, PSG had gained presence. His midfield, in harmony with Vitinha and Fabián, was better associated with the attackers. The team was reorganized and the counterattacks wreaked havoc. Sommer prevailed in a one-on-one with Mbappé in a brilliant action. The game was canceled. Muller missed a shot at the empty goal when Messi set up Nuno Mendes. The full-back ran down the left flank and put Mbappé in the middle.
The idol of France waved his arms and demanded a little engagement from the stands. The fans were slow to wake up, they were so stunned and when they finally celebrated the 1-1, the referee received the VAR call. The video judges stated that the goal was worthless. The night had ignited when Sommer, this time against Messi, prevented the agonizing draw. Pavard was sent off at a discount for knocking down the Argentine. The Bavarians reached the shore with a small booty. “We dominated,” announced Goretzka after the shower. On March 8, Munich passed a verdict.
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