Bayern 2-3 Paris: Mbappé double gives visitors edge
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Article summary
Kylian Mbappé started and finished the scoring as Paris won a thrilling game in Munich.
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Article body
Kylian Mbappé scored twice as Paris prised a 3-2 advantage in their quarter-final first leg away to Bayern.
Match in brief
The repeat of last season's final was simply breathtaking. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had already hit the bar before Kylian Mbappé fired in Neymar's third-minute pass to open the scoring.
Marquinhos calmly beat Manuel Neuer to double the lead – Neymar again laying on the goal – though Choupo-Moting gave Hansi Flick's men hope by heading in Benjamin Pavard's cross before the break.
The end-to-end action remained relentless after the interval and Bayern drew level when Thomas Müller glanced Joshua Kimmich's free-kick past the otherwise inspired Keylor Navas. Mbappé had the final say, though, clinically driving in his second from a slick Paris counterattack.
Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé (Paris)
"Mbappé was the clear choice after his two goals from fine counterattacks."
Dušan Fitzel, UEFA Technical Observer
Check out every official UEFA Champions League Man of the Match.
Jordan Maciel, Bayern reporter
A roller coaster of a match that was worthy of two recent finalists. Paris have the advantage with three away goals, but nothing is decided yet. Bayern pressed with passion and intensity and clawed their way back twice, which will fill them with confidence ahead of the next leg. There's no doubting they have the quality to turn this around, but they'll need to find a better way of keeping Mbappé and Co. quiet in Paris.
Chris Burke, Paris reporter
Outplayed for long periods, Paris proved the benefit of having world-class talent at both ends. The French side certainly suffered but they turned Bayern's pressure to their advantage, wreaking havoc on the break via Neymar's distribution and Mbappé's pace and finishing, while Navas thwarted the vast majority of the home team's chances. With Marco Verratti likely to return for the second match, Mauricio Pochettino's men are well placed to avenge last year's final defeat.
Reaction
Kylian Mbappé, Paris forward: "It was a difficult game against the best team in Europe right now. We played well as a team. But it's just the first game. [For the second leg] we have to play with confidence and play again like a team. I love to play against the best players in world and Manuel Neuer is one of the best keepers in history. I didn't manage to score against him in the final [last year] but I hope to be able to do it again."
Colin Dagba, Paris defender: "[The coach] told us what wasn't working at half-time. We looked at our defensive organisation as well and that paid off in the second half. We had a much more solid defensive block. We have to remain focused and play as we did tonight [in the second leg]. We'll need to run a lot because they pushed us hard."
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bayern forward: "We just didn't score enough chances and unfortunately conceded too many. I saw the statistics – it's crazy. On another day, we score five or six, for sure. It's really frustrating. It was a great fight this evening. It's a shame we couldn't reward ourselves but we came back well."
Thomas Müller, Bayern forward: "You can always talk about the goals you concede but I think nobody could have had any complaints had we won 5-3 or 6-3. Somehow we shot ourselves in the foot. Now we have to come from behind."
Key stats
• Paris have only failed to score in one of their last 43 UEFA Champions League matches. The exception was their 1-0 loss to Bayern in the 2020 final.
• Mbappé has scored eight goals in his last four in the UEFA Champions League games, and six in his last three knockout phase appearances.
• Marquinhos' goal was his eighth in the UEFA Champions League with four coming in the knockout phase. He scored in the quarter-finals and semi-finals last season.
• The defeat ends Flick's unbeaten run as Bayern coach in this competition. He had won 15 and drawn one of his 16 games in charge before tonight.
• Bayern have now scored in their last 63 matches but have just two clean sheets from their last 14 home games in all competitions.
• Bayern have scored at least twice in 26 of their last 27 home games in all competitions.
Line-ups
Bayern: Neuer; Pavard, Süle (Boateng 42), Alaba, Hernández; Kimmich, Goretzka (Davies 33); Sané, Müller, Coman; Choupo-Moting
Paris: Navas; Dagba, Marquinhos (Herrera 30), Kimpembe, Diallo (Bakker 46); Gueye, Danilo; Di María (Kean 71), Neymar (Rafinha 90), Draxler; Mbappé
What's next?
Both teams are in league action on Saturday, with Bayern at home to seventh-placed Union Berlin and Paris away to mid-table Strasbourg. The second leg of this tie takes place on Tuesday 13 April.