The UEFA Champions League took some time to produce moments in a pair of Round of 16 first legs on Wednesday.
When those moments arrived, they delivered drastically different results for the favorites.
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Bayern Munich failed to score at Lazio and trail after 90 minutes thanks to a red card and converted penalty for the hosts, while PSG labored early versus Real Sociedad before showing their class in the second half.
That will happen when you have Kylian Mbappe, though something similar is usually true for Harry Kane-led sides and Italy was far from a happy hunting ground for the England star.
Here’s what happened in Wednesday’s first legs.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Real Sociedad — Mbappe, Barcola break through (video)
Try as they might to possess the ball and mitigate danger in Paris, Real Sociedad found that PSG’s attack remains too dangerous to thwart over 90 minutes.
An even first-half changed decidedly after the break when Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola scored 12 minutes apart at the Parc des Princes to give Les Parisiens a good lead for the second leg in the Basque Country.
Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino were busy in the visiting midfield in a first half that saw a combined total of 0.56 xG, but PSG came to life after the break.
Luis Enrique’s side took 10 of their 14 shots in the second half, putting five on target and keeping almost two-thirds of the ball.
19 GOALS IN HIS LAST 15 MATCHES. KYLIAN MBAPPE IS INEVITABLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/c3RO7Rf8Nk
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2024
Lazio 1-0 Bayern Munich — Dayot Upamecano red card changes day (video)
A sleepy first-leg turned on a dime in Rome when Dayot Upamecano made a violent tackle in the box.
Danish winger Gustav Isaksen, 22, had the ball in the right side of the box and Upamecano’s sloppy challenge planted directly on the Lazio man’s ankle.
Ciro Immobile went to the spot and gave the Serie A side a nice advantage to take to the cauldron that will be Allianz Arena.
Mauricio Sarri’s Lazio only had 38 percent of the ball but put manufactured the only three shots on target over 90 minutes, as Bayern claimed the shot attempt advantage 16-9 but never asked Ivan Provedel to make a save.
Harry Kane had four of those attempts but was held to just 29 touches.
Bayern's Dayot Upamecano is SENT OFF!
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 14, 2024
Massive turning point in Rome 🟥 pic.twitter.com/frZdJX6tox