No stopping Mbappe
Munich, Thursday
Kylian Mbappe insisted Paris Saint-Germain still have it all to do after he scored twice in a thrilling 3-2 win at holders Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Bayern had their 19-match unbeaten run in the Champions League ended in a repeat of last year’s final, as the German giants suffered their first European defeat since March 2019.
PSG raced into a 2-0 lead after just 28 minutes behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena as Neymar created goals for Mbappe and Marquinhos.
Bayern, whose top scorer Robert Lewandowski is sidelined by a knee injury, drew level courtesy of headers by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Mueller.
However, Mbappe showed his class with a superb second goal to give the visitors an advantage for the return leg in Paris.
“We used all our chances and had a bit of luck, but nothing has been decided,” Mbappe told Sky, with the second leg to come in Paris on Tuesday.
PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas played a key role with a string of saves as Bayern peppered his goal with 31 shots compared to the French club’s six.
“We have to score a lot more goals,” said Mueller. “If it had ended 5-3 or 6-3 for us, no one could have complained based on the chances.”
Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who finished on the losing side for the first time in the Champions League, also rued the number of missed chances.
“With the chances we had, we could have got a good result despite conceding three goals,” Flick said.
“We don’t like to lose, but the way the team played was top.”
This was a record 19th appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals for Bayern, but there was little for them to celebrate at the final whistle.
“Kylian Mbappe made the difference. It’s a very positive result for us, but everything is still open,” said PSG coach Maurico Pochettino.
Covid-19 cast its shadow over both teams with Bayern winger Serge Gnabry, plus PSG pair Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Verratti quarantined after testing positive.
Heavy snow fell in the first half in Munich as the visitors put the heat on the holders.
The opening goal came after Neymar sprinted through a gaping hole in the defence and laid the ball off for Mbappe, whose shot flew into the net through Manuel Neuer’s legs.
PSG forward Julian Draxler had a goal disallowed with Mbappe offside in the build-up as the visitors kept up the pressure.
Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka powered a header into the feet of Navas just before the hosts fell two goals behind. -AFP
