It was not surprising to see the best game of the 2025/26 campaign on Tuesday as Europe’s best played against each other in Paris. Bayern Munich have work to do in the second leg at the Allianz Arena next week after suffering a narrow 5-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Vincent Kompany went with his strongest team for the game against the defending champions. His only surprising team selection was starting Alphonso Davies in the left-back position, while Josip Stanisic played on the right side of the back four. Considering Konrad Laimer’s form this season, it was surprising to see him on the bench.
Considering the attacking styles of both sides, it was not unusual to see an end to end start to the game. Both teams looked to score goals from the word go. There were half chances at both ends of the pitch during the first 10 minutes of the game.
Bayern struck first in the 14th minute as Luis Diaz was brought down in the box by Willian Pacho. Harry Kane made no mistake from the spot as he took a pause during the run-up, but emphatically slotted the ball into the net.
Kane’s goal opened the floodgates. PSG looked more purposeful in the final third, pinning the visitors in their half. However, Michael Olise had the chance to deliver the knockout blow when Kane played him through in the 19th minute. The French winger’s shot was brilliantly kept out by Matvey Safonov.
The miss from Olise came back to haunt Bayern as PSG scored the equalizer six minutes later. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went past Bayern’s defenders and calmly curled the ball at the far post to beat Manuel Neuer. Despite only 30 minutes into the game, teams look stretched due to their incredible quality in the final third. Olise ended up hitting the woodwork after beating defenders on the byline in the 32nd minute. It was edge-of-the-seat stuff at Parc des Princes.
The hosts completed the turnaround in the 33rd minute through a set-piece. Joao Neves headed the ball into the net after a precise delivery from the corner by Ousmane Dembele.
Bayern responded strongly after going behind as they pushed for the equaliser before the half-time whistle. They eventually got through Olise in the 41st minute. After a neat bit of link-up play with Aleksandar Pavlovic, Olise unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box to beat Safonov.
Just when it looked like we had seen everything, PSG got a penalty in the fifth minute of the added time of the first half. It was a controversial decision as Alphonso Davies hadn’t made a deliberate attempt to handle the ball. Dembele made no mistake to convert from the spot and restore PSG’s lead.
Bayern show resilience in the second half
The visitors made a change at halftime as Konrad Laimer replaced Davies. Stanisic moved to the left-back position, while Laimer slotted in the right-back position.
The second half got off to the worst possible start for Bayern. In the 54th minute, PSG doubled their lead through a brilliant bit of play. Neves found the run of Achraf Hakimi behind Bayern’s defense. The Moroccan full-back squared the ball across the goal, but no PSG player could provide the finishing touch. However, Kvaratskhelia pounced on this pass while coming from the left flank. The Georgian hammered it past Neuer to make it 4-2.
Four minutes later, Bayern stared at a big deficit as Dembele tripled PSG’s lead. Desire Doue found Dembele on the left flank with a clever bit of skill. Dembele hammered the ball at the near post, catching Neuer by surprise. The ball brushed the post and ended up in the net to make it 5-2 for the defending Champions.
After conceding the two quick goals, Bayern were facing an uphill challenge to get back in the game. However, they didn’t give up and maintained incredible intensity in and out of possession. The perseverance of the visitors helped them to get a lifeline in the 65th minute. Joshua Kimmich’s immaculate delivery from a set-piece helped Dayot Upamecano to guide the ball into the net.
Three minutes later, Bayern got another goal back through a brilliant aerial pass by Harry Kane. The English forward found the run of Luis Diaz in the box. The Colombian showed great composure to control the ball and curl it past the goalkeeper. The two sides continued to trouble each other in the final third for the rest of the game. PSG came close to increasing their advantage as Senny Mayulu hit the woodwork.
It was an incredible first leg for the neutrals. Bayern will be disappointed with the defeat, but things could have been worse. They need to win by more than a goal at Allianz Arena next week to book a place in the final.
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