Bayern Munich put an end to Paris Saint-Germain’s flawless run in the UEFA Champions League Group B by securing a thrilling 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening.
Bayern took control early on as Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring just eight minutes into the game. Corentin Tolisso then doubled their lead in the 37th minute, showing great promise for the German side.
Kylian Mbappe reduced the deficit five minutes after the break, but Tolisso struck again 19 minutes later to firmly seal the win for Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern, who finished level with PSG on 15 points, with both teams progressing to the last-16 stage.
Match Report
Despite PSG being the underdogs in Munich, they managed to fashion the first opportunity in the fourth minute, with Mbappe racing past David Alaba and forcing Sven Ulreich to make an impressive save from a tight angle.
Shortly after, Alaba posed a threat for Bayern, cutting in from the right wing and taking a low shot that Alphonse Areola, PSG’s keeper, handled comfortably.
The breakthrough came on eight minutes when Lewandowski pounced on some loose marking, deftly controlling Kingsley Coman’s flick before slotting the ball home from close range.
Bayern were on top, with Tolisso heading a corner wide in the 27th minute. PSG nearly responded with Neymar beating the offside trap and forcing another superb save from Ulreich at an acute angle.
Then, just eight minutes before half-time, Tolisso brilliantly powered a header into the bottom corner from a precise cross by James, extending Bayern’s lead.
In the closing moments of the first half, Ulreich denied Neymar once again. Early in the second half, Neymar missed a good chance inside the box after leaving Joshua Kimmich behind.
PSG fought back with Mbappe scoring a header from Cavani’s chip on 50 minutes, and again came close on a counterattack five minutes later, but Cavani couldn’t convert the final pass.
Ulreich had to be alert to stop Draxler’s shot from the edge of the box on the hour mark, and Tolisso’s second goal nine minutes later was the killer blow – a superb finish placed into the bottom-right corner following another inch-perfect pass from Coman.
In the closing stages, PSG pressed hard, with Marquinhos missing an overhead kick and Mbappe denied by an outstanding reaction save from Ulreich in stoppage time after being set up by Cavani’s volleyed cross.
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