Bayern Munich is going to rue missed chances, defensive lapses, and PSG keeper Keylor Navas as the Bavarians took 31 shots and held 64 percent of the ball but fell 3-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday at the Allianz Arena.
Navas made 10 saves, Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and Neymar had two assists as the Ligue 1 side takes three away goals back to Paris. Marquinhos scored PSG’s other goal.
[ MORE: Premier League weekend’s 10 things learned ]
Bayern, it must be said, was missing Robert Lewandowski and put 12 of its 31 shots on target while another 10 were blocked by Les Parisiens. Thomas Muller and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored for the reigning tournament champions.
Bayern Munich - PSG was what we hoped we’d see from August’s UCL Final, minus the Allianz Arena’s early April snow, of course.
Three things we learned from Bayern Munich - PSG
1. Snow problem getting goals: Paris Saint-Germain might’ve not expected to play in a flurry-strewn Allianz Arena, but Les Parisiens were not put off by the white stuff, building a 2-0 lead as Neymar assisted Kylian Mbappe and Marquinhos. The second of the pair was a sensational pass from the Brazil captain, who has six goals and three assists in his last four UCL appearances and 41 goals and 31 assists in 55 career Champions League matches. Mbappe is a beauty, too.
2. Neuer, Navas make pivotal stops but Mbappe rarely misses twice in a row: Muller got in front of Presnel Kimbembe and nodded home to make it 2-2 moments after Manuel Neuer had denied Mbappe on a breakaway, but PSG couldn’t put much blame on its keeper. Keylor Navas made 10 saves on the day. Mbappe would’ve been begging for another chance after Neuer got in front of the breakaway. He got it within minutes and he did not miss. It helped that Jerome Boateng was slow to commit, worried about being cooked by the young star, and David Alaba couldn’t get there in time to stop Mbappe from slicing a shot between Boateng’s legs and to the right of a helpless Neuer. That said, Neuer was certainly not faultless on the day after guessing wrong on Mbappe’s opener.
KYLIAN MBAPPE INSIDE 3 MINUTES 😳
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 7, 2021
That error from Manuel Neuer though 🙈 pic.twitter.com/oxonpViGmd
3. Bayern more than Lewandowski, but his absence loomed large: Bayern had 31 shots and saw the aforementioned 10 saves from Navas, but it’s difficult to believe the score line would’ve been the same with the powerful Polish star on the pitch. Bayern had 15 corner kicks and carried more than 60 percent possession and yes, Choupo-Moting scored from the center forward’s spot, but he hit the woodwork once and missed another opportunity. On another day with their A-1 striker, is this tie already done and dusted?
Man of the Match: Navas
Yes Mbappe was great. No, he wasn’t as important as the double-digit save collector from Costa Rica.