Bayern Munich vs PSG highlights as Messi, Mbappe eliminated
Goals from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry saw Bayern Munich dispatch Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 for a 3-0 aggregate victory in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Choupo-Moting was released by PSG two years ago and scored for the third time in four Champions League outings again his old employers, slotting home from close range in the second half.
Bayern Munich vs PSG highlights as Messi, Mbappe eliminated
PSG controlled most of the first half, although Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were restricted to half chances, and Vitinha’s golden opportunity to shoot at an empty net saw Matthijs De Ligt clear off the line. Christophe Galtier’s side could not recover their poise after going behind.
Bayern substitute Gnabry sealed victory in the final minute of regulation, by which point PSG’s challenge had long subsided. The French champions have now suffered more eliminations in this round (five) than they have won Champions League knockout games altogether (four).
Bayern Munich vs PSG highlights as Messi, Mbappe eliminated
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Bayern | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| PSG | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Bayern won 3-0 on aggregate
Goals:
BAY — Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Leon Goretzka) — 61st min.
BAY — Serge Gnabry (Joao Cancelo) — 90th min.
Lineups:
Bayern Munich (3-4-2-1, right to left): 27-Sommer (GK) — 44-Stanisic, 2-Upamecano, 4-De Ligt — 11-Coman (7-Gnabry), 6-Kimmich, 8-Goretzka, 19-Davies — 25-Muller (22-Cancelo), 42-Musiala (17-Mane) — 13-Choupo-Moting (10-Sane)
PSG (3-5-2, right to left): 99-Donnarumma (GK) — 15-Danilo, 4-Ramos, 5-Marquinhos (26-Mukiele, 31-Bitshiabu) — 2-Hakimi, 17-Vitinha (44-Ekitike), 6-Verratti, 8-Ruiz (33-Zaire-Emery), 25-Mendes (14-Bernat) — 7-Mbappe, 30-Messi
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The clearest chance of the first half fell PSG’s way when Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer played his way into trouble and was dispossessed by Achraf Hakimi. Vitinha took aim at an unguarded goal, but failed to make clean contact with his shot, allowing Matthijs de Ligt to hurl himself to towards the goalline and clear.
Jamal Musiala forced a sharp stop from Gianluigi Donnarumma after the half-hour as Bayern were second-best before the break. Julian Nagelsmann’s side then found extra gears that PSG could not live with.
Choupo-Moting had a goal ruled out because Thomas Muller tried to play his head from Musiala’s cross while in an offside position, but Bayern would not rue what felt like a harsh call.
In an echo of Sommer’s earlier error, in the 61st minute, teen substitute El Chadaille Bitshiabu played PSG teammate Marco Verratti into trouble. Muller snaffled possession and found Goretzka, who left a chance on a plate for Choupo Moting to open the scoring.
Sergio Ramos twice went close with headed attempts from corners — Sommer excelling himself with a fingertip save in the 65th minute — and was trying his old superhero centre-forward act when Bayern substitutes Joao Cancelo and Gnabry charged forward on the break for the latter to seal the 2-0 victory.
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Bayern Munich show why they are Champions League favourites
There’s a tempting narrative here of Bayern — a grand old club doing things “the right way” — putting gauche, moneybags PSG in their place. And there’s some truth to that, but pricetags can’t play football matches and as the game in Munich went on, the gulf in overall squad quality was abundantly clear.
To get over the line, Bayern brought on Gnabry, Cancelo, Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane. PSG do have a few key injuries at the moment: They lost influential captain Marquinhos during the first half and Neymar is out for the season. However, Christophe Galtier’s options from the bench during the second half amounted a cluster of talented but raw teenagers and Juan Bernat. Bayern’s contrasting depth in quality might be the envy of Europe.
How Upamecano shut down Mbappe
De Ligt might have produced the highlight-reel piece of defending, but his fellow Bayern centre-back Dayot Upamecano was utterly immense. The former RB Leipzig man restricted France international teammate Mbappe to a handful of half chances through his winning combination of pace, physicality and cool, calculated defensive awareness. Upamecano won five out of six duels and was also impeccable in possession, completing 51 of 52 passes.
Will PSG sack Christophe Galtier?
While this exit fits into a wider picture of Champions League failure for PSG, they were finalists in 2020 and semifinalists in 2021. Since those runs under Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, they have unquestionably gone backwards.
Galtier is an esteemed coach, but does not have the standing of his predecessors. There are mitigating factors, not least a mismatched, uneven and deceptively thin playing squad. But, after not losing a single match this season before the turn of the calendar year, PSG have been beaten six times in 2023. Irrespective of what domestic trophies they go on to pick up, history suggests Galtier’s employment prospects are only heading one way.
