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The Champions League is back from its three and half month hiatus and this season's rescheduled Round of 16 matches feature some of the greatest matches in European football. PSG and Bayern Munich will square off in an intense battle that could determine which team advances to the knockout rounds.
In the opening 45 minutes, both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances. PSG were lacking clear-cut chances while Bayern were the superior side and had several good opportunities but didn't take advantage, leaving PSG with a 1-0 lead at halftime.
PSG's sole goal was scored by former PSG player Kingsley Coman, who volleyed in Alphonso Davies' cross. It was an impressive performance from the Frenchman and he will no doubt be pleased with the outcome.
Bayern will have the better feeling going into the second half. They were much more aggressive in the first half and had some decent chances, including one from Choupo-Moting that was saved by Donnarumma.
PSG were a mess defensively and didn't look particularly dangerous until the second half, when Kylian Mbappe came on to replace Neymar and made an impact.
Mbappe's pace and skillfull moves are a formidable weapon for PSG, which should frighten Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, two goals were disallowed in the second half due to offside and Nuno Mendes being offside during his build-up.
After the break, PSG's chances of returning to the game have improved and they have had several good chances. Vitinha had one early on but then Pavard is subbed off for a yellow card after making an late challenge on Lionel Messi.
PSG have had more shots in the second half, yet also had fewer chances to score. It's unfortunate that they weren't able to take advantage of some of their chances as they could easily have equalized with a goal.
Bayern are widely expected to be the favourites for progressing to the quarterfinals and have a great chance of doing so in Munich. After winning all seven matches in this season's Champions League, the Bavarians should feel confident going into this matchup.
PSG were having difficulty getting their attack going until Kylian Mbappe came on in the second half. The French forward made a run down the left and attempted to tap home Neymar's cross, but it was offside.
Bayern had the better chances in the opening half and could have taken a lead had Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Joshua Kimmich been more clinical. But Bayern stayed composed, limiting PSG to only one shot during that span of 45 minutes.
Kingsley Coman scored the only goal needed in the 53rd minute when he headed home Alphonso Davies' cross. That was Coman's first Champions League goal since joining Bayern Munich, giving Bayern the edge going into the second leg on March 8.
PSG were able to come alive in the final minutes of the match after Kylian Mbappe replaced Carlos Soler and Danilo Pereira came off for Fabian Ruiz, as Mbappe turned home a cutback from Nuno Mendes in the 82nd minute; however VAR ruled it out due to offside in the build-up.
But PSG still had plenty of chances to draw level before Pavard was sent off in the 92nd minute for a late challenge on Lionel Messi. As such, he will miss the second leg against PSG in three weeks' time.
PSG have suffered a disappointing loss, ending their 41-match winning streak at Parc des Princes. Nonetheless, they still have an outside shot at progressing to the quarterfinals of this year's Champions League as they take on Manchester City in the last eight.
Bayern Bayern were dominating and had the better opportunities, but PSG held on for a 1-0 victory. Benjamin Pavard made an excellent block early on to deny Leroy Sane a goal and Gianluigi Donnarumma easily saved Joshua Kimmich's low shot late in the first half.
Paris Saint-Germain had the upper hand in the first half, and they got off to a great start with Dani Alves' powerful header of Neymar's pass. However, PSG backed off and Bayern Munich had an opportunity for sustained attacking play that almost yielded them multiple goals.
PSG's defense was strong and Alphonse Areola made numerous great saves, yet the French club couldn't seem to break through against a stubborn Paris Saint-Germain defense. It took Carlo Ancelotti making several substitutions in order to break through, bringing on Kingsley Coman and Sebastian Rudy for midfield stability, yet that still wasn't enough for Germany to break past an impregnable Paris Saint-Germain defense.
In the 53rd minute, Bayern Munich took the lead through a counterattack. Alphonso Davies crossed from the left and Kingsley Coman was unmarked when he volleyed it past Gigi Donnarumma for what proved to be the decisive goal.
It was a much-needed victory for the visitors, who needed to put some distance between themselves and PSG after their disappointing Ligue 1 loss away to Monaco last weekend. With this win, they now lead Germany by one point with three games to go in Group B with three matches remaining.
Bayern Munich enjoyed a much improved second half and earned themselves a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain. Julian Nagelsmann's side dominated possession and controlled most of the ball in the second period, making it difficult for PSG to create much in their flat 4-4-2 formation.
The midfield was an integral factor in Bayern Munich's victory, with Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka and Jamal Musaala working well together in the middle to keep Bayern off balance. Joao Cancelo and Kingsley Coman proved just as effective at holding their own against Bayern's defense when backing up Choupo-Moting and Kimmich.
At 57 minutes, Kylian Mbappe came on for the hosts and brought with him an energy and verve that had been missing before he entered the field. His impressive work with the ball proved too much for David Alaba to handle, forcing him to make a save with his feet. It was an impressive performance from Mbappe but ultimately not enough to secure victory in this thrilling contest.
PSG have lost their last two matches against Marseille and Monaco, leaving them in a precarious situation ahead of tonight's crucial game against Bayern Munich. While Kylian Mbappe and Neymar remain in the squad, both are struggling with form at present. Plus they have several injury concerns to deal with as well, making it tough for PSG to beat Bayern at home tonight.
PSG had the better chances in the first half, but couldn't score their own goal. If they want to secure a victory and qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals, PSG must improve significantly in the second half.
Bayern Munich have been the dominant team for much of the match, but their high press hasn't been enough to break down a weak home side that wasn't playing as well as it did in the first half. Bayern's high press has worked well against PSG, yet it isn't giving them enough space to move forward effectively.
Kingsley Coman was an integral factor for Bayern and scored twice against PSG - his second goal coming in the opening half. In 2021's quarter-final matchup against Paris Saint-Germain, Coman also netted against them twice during the 2020 final.
Today's strike was special, however; he volleyed a perfectly timed cross from half-time substitute Alphonso Davies under Gianluigi Donnarumma's dive to score his brace against PSG - the first goal they hadn't scored since their Champions League final triumph back in 2021. With this goal, PSG were denied their first goal since that historic loss back then in 2021 - as PSG failed to score in the opening leg of their quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
This was an epic Champions League round of 16 game that will go down as one of the greats, featuring two incredible performances from both teams. It had all the makings to be one of the most thrilling matches ever played - but unfortunately for Paris, it just wasn't meant to be.