Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious against Bayern Munich with a 5-4 scoreline in a captivating UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg tie on Tuesday.
The high-octane match, characterized by aggressive attacking from both sides, delivered a total of nine goals, showcasing exceptional individual strikes and polished team plays.
PSG found the net through multiple scorers, with Ousmane Dembele and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia both bagging braces, while Bayern had four distinct goal scorers.
The French champions fielded an identical starting lineup to their quarter- final triumph over Chelsea. In contrast, Bayern Munich made a single alteration, bringing in Alphonso Davies to bolster the defense in place of Konrad Laimer.
Bayern drew first blood in the 17th minute when Harry Kane converted a penalty awarded for a foul on Luis Diaz, marking his 13th goal of the current UCL campaign. PSG quickly responded through Kvaratskhelia, who equalized with a superb solo effort, curling the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area.
PSG took the lead in the 33rd minute courtesy of a well-placed header from Joao Neves following a corner by Dembele. However, Bayern managed to equalize again through Michael Olise, who skillfully navigated through the midfield before firing a shot past the goalkeeper, leveling the score at 2-2.
Further drama unfolded in added time when, after a VAR review, Davies was penalized for a handball in the box. Dembele stepped up and expertly converted the resulting penalty for his second goal of the match. The first half concluded with PSG leading 3-2, setting a new record for the most goals scored in the first half of a UCL semi-final.
In the second half, PSG extended their lead with two goals in quick succession. Kvaratskhelia completed his brace in the 56th minute, finishing off a fluid team move to make it 4-2. Just two minutes later, the Ballon d'Or winner, Dembele, scored again, extending PSG's advantage to three goals.
Despite missing coach Vincent Kompany due to a touchline ban, Bayern mounted a spirited comeback, scoring twice within three minutes. Dayot Upamecano headed in a free-kick from Joshua Kimmich to make it 5-3, and shortly after, Diaz exploited the offside trap to slot home and bring the score to 5-4.
PSG managed to contain Bayern's late pressure, securing the 5-4 victory. This nine-goal thriller now stands as the highest-scoring single semi-final match in the history of the competition.
The two teams are set to face each other again next week at the Allianz Arena in Germany to determine which side will advance to the final, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.
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