Bayern wants to reach the Champions League round of 16 without any detours. To do so, they must finish in the top 8. After Kim’s debut goal against Paris Saint-Germain, the goal is within reach again.
FC Bayern Munich kicked off its pivotal week of top matches with a very important victory in the Champions League classic against Paris Saint-Germain. After a narrow but well-deserved 1-0 (1-0) win thanks to defender Minjae Kim’s first Champions League goal (38th minute), the German record champions are back in the race for a place in the top eight and direct qualification for the round of 16 after their third win in five games. However, more victories must follow.
After their seventh clean sheet in a row, coach Vincent Kompany and his team can go into the big tests on Saturday in the Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund and finally in the DFB Cup against defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with even more confidence. PSG, on the other hand, are in danger of an early Champions League exit after the group stage with only four points.
Yellow-red card for Dembélé, Musiala hits the post
Kim’s goal decided the game. The second key moment was the sending-off of PSG striker Ousmane Dembelé. The former Dortmund player, who had already been booked, brought down Bayern defender Alphonso Davies with a reckless tackle in the 56th minute. The result was a yellow-red card.
With a man up, Bayern pushed for the decisive 2-0, but without losing control defensively. Jamal Musiala hit the post with a thunderous shot (74′), and the home side failed to capitalize on several counterattacks. As a result, the game remained exciting until stoppage time.
“It won’t be boring,” Bayern coach Kompany had predicted before the clash between two possession-oriented teams. And that’s exactly how it turned out. The 75,000 spectators in the sold-out stadium saw a fast-paced, end-to-end game. Both teams constantly wanted the ball, with Bayern looking more determined when in possession. National player Jamal Musiala could have put the hosts ahead in the 7th minute after a pass from Joshua Kimmich. But PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov made a brilliant save.
Final hero as an asset
It was a different story when Munich took a 1-0 lead. The 25-year-old Russian failed to clear Kimmich’s corner and even allowed Kim to score his first Champions League goal. The lead was deserved. Kingsley Coman was an asset in Bayern’s attack.
The Paris-born winger, who was trained at PSG and scored the winning goal in Munich’s 1-0 Champions League triumph over his former club in the 2020 final in Lisbon, had numerous good chances. What was missing was the finishing touch, once after a fine solo run (28th minute) and then from an ideal shooting position after a pass from Harry Kane (66th minute).
Four days after his hat-trick in Tuesday evening’s 3-0 win over FC Augsburg, the Englishman was mainly an offensive and defensive worker for his team. However, the pressure to win did not paralyze Bayern. The defense around goal scorer Kim and Dayot Upemacano was once again solid and allowed PSG hardly any chances. Eighteen-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery missed the goal (29th minute), and Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved a shot from Dembelé without much trouble (32nd minute).