ANOTHER TANGO IN PARIS

Paris illuminates as stars sparkle in seesawing goal bonanza.

"Two great teams who attack and don't question themselves.”

Big dog time. PSG against Bayern Munich. The title holders against a six-time champ. Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue. Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz. You know what? You’d be forgiven for thinking that here might be a few goals in this one. Often however, matches like these can fail to deliver. First legs in which teams set up in an overly cagey, pragmatic manner. A drab affair in which commentary teams churn out the same old adages as viewers around the globe roll their eyes. “You can’t win the tie in the first game, but you sure can lose it” or “Delicately poised for the return”. Yeah…were not going for that one today.

Dispatching Liverpool and Real Madrid respectively, these two already know what it takes to eliminate another European giant in this competition. PSG had little trouble overcoming the Scousemen in a 4-0 aggregate victory, with England a happy hunting ground as Les Parisiens obliterated Chelsea in the round prior. Bayern won the glamour tie against Los Blancos, sinking a late dagger after having an upper hand throughout. As for their matchup against Atalanta in the round of sixteen…something along the lines of pillage or depredate would be closest to an accurate descriptor.

So, the stage was set. A roaring Parc des Princes, two tremendous football teams, and a trip to Budapest up for grabs. From the off, it was all systems go. Both sides hungry to find an opener as quickly as possible, with the ball set out wide for creative wings to maraud. Like the majority of evenings inside this stadium, there was a magnetism in the air. An electric energy coursed throughout the creatives on display, gifting us a smorgasbord of artistry as they attacked opponents with unrelenting will.

Frankly, it was only a matter of time. The door was unlocked after seventeen minutes, and good grief was it to stay open. A beautiful bit of interplay between Joshua Kimmich and Olise allowed the ball to find its way to the feet of Diaz. A sidestep later, Willian Pacho fouled with the Colombian. Penalty kick to Bayern Munich. Goal to Harry Kane. 1-0.

The equaliser came all but seven minutes later. Played down PSG’s left flank, the ball found itself at the twinkle toes of a menacing Georgian. Something important to note about Kvaratskhelia, this lad can play. Cutting shapes left and right, he sent Josip Stanisic to the cleaners and curled a low finish past the helpless onlooker that was Manuel Neuer. 1-1.

Suddenly, PSG were fully in the ascendancy and Bayern’s backline dropped off anytime possession was developed towards Les Rouge-et-Bleu’s wing wizards. Such a decision would prove extremely costly. Just over half an hour on the clock and Dembele whipped in a sumptuous corner, where perhaps an unlikely scorer in diminutive midfield maestro Joao Neves was found. Running off his marker in Jamal Musiala, the Portuguese youngster made contact to bullet a finely placed header across goal. 2-1.

Next in on the act was Olise. A player that has gone from strength to strength at Bayern, this was sheer individual brilliance. From Reading to Crystal Palace to the biggest stage, this is a man laser focused on nailing down a starting berth in France’s World Cup XI come June. At this moment, who could go against that line of thinking? Clocking 49 G/A in 47 games this season, the Bayern man drove through PSG’s heart, jinking past Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves before Marquinhos could close the space. Rifling a shot from the edge of the area, goalkeeper Matvei Safonov barely saw the ball before it flew into his net. 2-2.

Right before halftime, this affair ungulated back into the hands of the home side. As Dembele looked to float a cross into the box, his pass ricocheted off the hand of Alphonso Davies. His claim was largely unheard by the officials until Carlos del Cerro Grande intervened as VAR, suggesting his colleague Sandro Scharer head for the monitor. A penalty was awarded and the current Ballon d’Or holder made no mistake from the spot. 3-2.

Interval reached. Breathe.

Into the second half and there was absolutely no letting up. PSG were on the warpath and counter attacked with vicious levels of conviction. Substitute Konrad Laimer was caught too high and Achraf Hakimi took full advantage by blitzing down the vacated flank. His low cross somehow evaded a gaggle of bodies to arrive at the unmarked feet of Kvaratskhelia. Charging onto the ball, there was no other thought on his mind. First time, low and hard. Easy pickings for a player of his quality. 4-2.

Again and again, PSG attackers tore up the pitch at a feverous pace. This was a home crowd baying for blood and their sharks would encircle. Only three minutes later, Doue stabbed a pass towards Dembele, who shifted inside from the left while cleverly using fullback Dayot Upamecano as his shield. Perhaps expecting a shot across goal, Neuer was motionlessly flat footed as his opponent drilled nearside. The post giving Dembele’s placed finish a glancing kiss on its way. 5-2.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking that this could now turn into a massacre. After all, Bayern wouldn’t have been the first that PSG put to the sword in this competition. However, the German champions are most definitely made of sterner stuff, and anybody who’s seen their domestic form this year would attest. Nevertheless, Die Roten needed a goal quickly. Thankfully for the away side, it’s exactly how the game script continued to unravel. A little over the hour mark, Kimmich lofted in a long free kick that Upamecano reached with a glancing touch. His header was to drift past an outstretched Safonov and nestle in the far corner. 5-3.

Done? Not quite. Munich were reinvigorated as Kane coasted over a beautiful pass from just beyond the halfway line. Breaking the trap, Bayern’s man nicknamed Lucho killed his first touch, superbly creating a feasible shooting angle as the tracking Marquinhos scooted by. A twist of the hips to throw PSG’s recovering captain off track followed, before curling a pearler into the net. A majestic piece of play. Yet, the offside flag was raised. Diaz pleaded innocence, and after a VAR check his protestations were justified. Mere millimetres on. 5-4

In the last twenty minutes, we finally had some semblance of what’s known as defending. Well, sort of. The teenage Senny Mayulu was brought on with five to go and almost extended PSG’s lead, his ferocious attempt crashing off the woodwork. A pass inside to the free Hakimi might have been the better option, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Many purists may grumble at the lack of tactical structure, and to say the game was open would be an understatement. At times this main event resembled basketball a little more closely than you’d imagine. A brief post match conversation between Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany suggested both managers had endured an evening of spiked cortisol.

Regardless, under luminary lights of France’s capital, we were treated to one of the most captivating ninety minutes this tournament has ever seen. You’d be a brave man to bet against another come Wednesday.

Full time, PSG 5-4 Bayern Munich.

ANOTHER TANGO IN PARIS

Paris illuminates as stars sparkle in seesawing goal bonanza.

DERBY DAY DEMOLITION