Manuel Neuer took match winner Minjae Kim in his arms and lifted the winning goalscorer high in celebration. Thanks to the Korean, FC Bayern opened its groundbreaking top game week with an important 1-0 (1-0) in the Champions League classic against Paris Saint-Germain.
After the narrow but well-deserved 1-0 (1-0) thanks to defender Kim’s first premier class goal (38th minute), the German football record champions are back in the middle of the race for a place in the fifth game after their third home win in the fifth game the top 8 and direct entry into the round of 16. However, there are still more victories to come. “The discipline was there. “We can maybe score one or two more goals when we have the advantage, then the game will be calmer,” said coach Vincent Kompany.
“It was an extremely intense game. We knew what to expect. We marched to the end. It’s nice that we were rewarded for it. It feels good,” said Leon Goretzka on Amazon Prime after the game. When asked about his reserve role at Bayern, the midfielder, who showed a strong performance, said: “That’s why I’m here, to play football. I’m always happy when I’m let off the leash. For me it is a basic requirement to remain professional. Nothing will change that.”
After the seventh clean sheet success in a row, Kompany and his team can go into the big tests next Saturday in the Bundesliga against Borussia Dortmund and finally in the DFB Cup against defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with an even bigger cross. PSG, on the other hand, is threatened with an early exit from the Champions League after the league phase with just four points.
Kim’s goal decided the game. The second key scene was the sending off of PSG striker Ousmane Dembelé. The former Dortmund player impetuously tackled Bayern defender Alphonso Davies in the 56th minute – already warned. The consequence was the yellow-red card. With the advantage, Bayern tried to make it 2-0, but without losing defensive control. Jamal Musiala hit the post with a bang (74′), and the home side played a few counterattacks poorly. This kept things exciting until injury time.
Coman as Bayern’s asset
“It won’t be boring,” Bayern coach Kompany had predicted before the showdown between two teams in possession of the ball. And that’s how it happened. The 75,000 spectators in the sold-out stadium saw fast-paced hunting football. Both teams wanted to have the ball, with Bayern acting more purposefully when in possession. National player Jamal Musiala could have shot the hosts into the lead as early as the 7th minute following a pass from Joshua Kimmich. But PSG goalkeeper Matwei Safonow held on brilliantly.
Things were different when Munich won 1-0. The 25-year-old Russian did a poor job of defending against Kimmich’s corner and even allowed Kim to score his debut goal in the Champions League. The lead was deserved. An asset in Bayern’s offensive was Kingsley Coman.
The winger, born in Paris and trained at PSG, who headed the winning goal against his former club in the 1-0 win in Munich’s premier class triumph in the 2020 final in Lisbon, had numerous good scenes. What was missing was the crowning finale, once after a fine solo (28th), then after a pass from Harry Kane (66th) in what was actually an ideal shooting position.
Four days after his hat trick in the 3-0 win against FC Augsburg on Tuesday evening, the Englishman was primarily an offensive and defensive worker for his team. Of course, the pressure of having to win at all costs did not paralyze Bayern. The defense around goalscorer Kim and Dayot Upamecano was once again stable and hardly allowed PSG any chances. 18-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery missed the goal (29th), Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer easily fended off a shot from Dembelé (32nd).
The Bayern fans took a stand against investors during the game. The supporters held up two banners against PSG boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi in the south curve. They also showed the Qatari businessman in the prohibition sign. “Minister, club owner, TV rights holder, Uefa Exco member & ECA chairman all in one?” read one of the banners. On another poster, the tone became much ruder: “The football is mine? Fuck off, plutocratic Al-Khelaifi!”
