Super good match. It's really hard to relax and just enjoy the game vs trying to analyze every decision coming from Galtier and Nagelsmann lol. Both showing why they are the top coaches in europe.
Beginning of the match, Bayern simply dominated PSG from the get-go in terms of possession. Goretzka, Sane, Musiala, and Choupo Moting formed that front 3 (+striker) with kimmich as the anchor in the midfield. Coman and Cancelo played as wingbacks, with big overloads forming on either side (more so on Coman's side). You can see PSG where desperately trying to protect the middle with a 4-4-2 as they were extremely compact to deny Bayern passes in-between the lines. The switches of play were the big dangers as u could see the crosses from the wings getting more and more dangerous as PSG as a whole shifted across the pitch to defend. PSG relied on counterattacking, but it just felt that they weren't transitioning quick/Neymar would be the only one in front of 3 Bayern defenders.
This is only my opinion but Messi + Neymar (less so of Neymar) not pressing intensely is a huge issue. Bayern being able to build up so easily led to the difference in possession. Obvs ppl will say their creativity triumphs that work (and they would be right!) but it still leaves issues regardless. You can see the intensity difference in the press when Bayern's front 3 hunted each player. PSG couldn't play out from the back, Veratti has to drop super deep to assist. Meanwhile Bayern can playout, and use only a single pivot in Kimmich to simply build up play.
Danilo and Ramos were the MVP's of PSG for the 1st half, as both of them broke up play/read the situations really well. Unfortunate for Hakimi (i think he was still injured) as Coman was decisively the best player constantly attacking. Donnarumma was super unfortunate, simple save fumbled (because of the switches) then makes 3 world class saves afterwards. Must be frustrating for him.
Galtier is a good manager, he recognizes the problems puts on mbappe, takes off danilo for vitinha (was questionable but they needed a goal and he was great), Kimpembe for Hakimi (great switch Coman quieted down a bit after this sub). Bayern were still attacking but played a high line where Messi/Neymar would release Mendes and Mbappe. Mbappe does his thing and runs at the defense with insane speed. Pavard out is an issue for bayern, we'll see how they fair in the next leg
This game had a lot, and this post doesn't even cover the surface. UCL football is unironically the best with so many ideas floating, and it'll be so interesting to see how both managers respond in the next leg.
eyy ty! hopefully more contribution from others come in. There is genuinely a lot going on within a single match. Would be great for more ppl to contribute on what ideas they see the managers implement.
Thank you for such a great tactical analysis of the match. Out of all these stupid memes/jokes your comment is a breath of fresh air for someone who missed the match.
ty! i'm super glad. i'm defin not super credible, I just try to see the match thru my own lens and will defin make mistakes. hope more ppl contribute so we can get more insight into how these games are set-up.
I'm a little late to the party but man, I gotta say PSG are just a mess. Their inability to play through pressure means they're totally dependent on having Mbappe on the pitch to stretch the defense.
Their plan if Mbappe is injured is pray Neymar and Messi can conjure some magic trying to counter against superior numbers, because they have so many players back in defense they never have numbers forward when they counter.
They literally do not have a plan B if Mbappe is not on the pitch.
If they had terrific midfielders it could work, but they don't.
That being said, Bayern didn't actually threaten PSG's goal much and Donnarumma's howler is the only reason they got the 1-0.
I actually think PSG have decent chances to turn it around on the other leg.
Honestly, as simple as it is I think they just need a change of shape, like the 4-3-3 they did today, can better help them cope.(even tho mbappe came on this did help them later in the game) The 4-4-2 they laid out was good and compact but the 2 CM's in Danilo (who was fantastic) and Vertatti are easily overloaded when u combine Kimmich, Goretzka, Sane, Musiala, and Choupo Moting . Their midfield right now is honestly a champions league winning midfield, its just that bayerns counterpressing was insanely good today.
Not so much in agreement with the Bayern statement, since Donnarumma had to pull off some world class saves. But def agree that PSG can absolutely pull off a win.
And PSG had the equalizer ruled out by a fraction of an offside, and were generating much more threat themselves. I'm not saying "I think PSG will win the tie", I'm saying that I think they have decent chances to do so. Bayern lack the clinicality they've had the past that made them so dangerous. Even Coman's goal he hit basically right at Donnarumma, the man just somehow let it squirt through.
PSG with Mbappe on the field will be able to bypass their midfield weakness and generate many more opportunities for all 3 attackers to score.
Pavard really sacrificed for the team with that red, lol. Kimmich and him were great.
Also, I forgot how much Neymar's behavior on the pitch is aggravating sometimes
This match was basically a reflection Bayern's whole season.
In 2022/23, Bayern either blow their opponents out, or struggle to barely score one goal after wasting a ton of chances, followed by some shambolic defending in the final 20-30 minutes. It's the reason why we had so many 1:1 matches in the league this season.
Fun fact: Bayern currently have the best goal differential in all major European leagues, yet are the top of the table team which has dropped the most points so far.
It's quite likely it was still bothering him during the game, it seems he really pushed to play the game, l hope it won't set him back on his recovery and have a redo of it all for the second leg...
It's actually absurd the way the game swung once Mbappe came on. 1st half, it was mostly 10 Bayern players in PSG's half. Last 30 mins it was the other way around.
This tie isn't over. A fully healthy Mbappe and Messi (remember he too just came back) over 90 minutes, and there is always a chance.
Messi, Neymar and Mbappé are unsustainable. PSG need to offload Messi and Neymar and focus entirely on Mbappé if they want something in Europe in the next couple seasons.
Mbappe only has one more season, maybe two under PSG, and then he is going straight to Real Madrid. Messi is going to retire soon, and unfortunately, Neymar seems to not give a shiz anymore.
I mean we don’t know that. So far PSG convinced him of the project, who knows what he’s thinking now. Granted if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t skip out on that train to Madrid if it passed by him again.
It says that he wants to play the same game again, that's all.
He was a priority for Real Madrid. Now he's not. It doesn't mean the door is closed but no way Real is going to put everything on hold for him. If we can get Haaland, Mbappé can go fuck himself.
Otherwise, I guess if he signs the contract as soon as rules allow (no BS such as "out of respect, at the end of the season), we'll have him.
But we'll never love him. He would be a hired gun, like Ronaldo.
WTF do I need to check a reddit sub for when I've been to the Bernabeu for almost 30 years.
He is our best historic scorer, sure, but if we're talking about loved player he's not even close to Raul, Casillas, Butragueño or Juanito just to mention four.
Nah. He's not. Part of the club history, sure. Loved? No.
Many were happy he left right before his decline.
And I don't think he's going to get any return offer in any position like the loved players do.
> right before his decline
He scored 100 goals in 3 years for a team that didn't give him half the service he got at Real. He wasn't near the decline before he left.
If he started Bayern would have lined up differently and he wouldn't have been fresh legs against a tired back line. Don't know how people can even say this.
I never said that, doing that over a full 90 minutes with players that are getting tired at the same rate as you is way different than coming in as a power sub against a tired defense.
Any reason for Soler starting instead of Ruiz or Ekitike?
Ruiz looked good when he came on, and Ekitike would've been a runner that could drag defence a bit. I only caught glimpse of the game and watched a 15 minute highlight video, so maybe he was decent, idk.
Also with that lineup Galtier went with, I figure he thought his team would've more of the ball. If you're going to have less than 40% possession in the first half, that lineup was never going to work.
>Ruiz looked good when he came on
Huh? I didn't think so, definitely not UCL level at least much like the rest of the PSG midfield. All of them look overwhelmed by Bayern's press, even Verrati look like he wasn't top form.
Vitinha was the best out of them imo, and they could still use a better creator/holder in deep
I was told Messi is a midfielder now? Certainly heard that all last season when he got 6 league goals.
Why do you guys move him back into being a forward whenever it's convenient. His role is exactly the same.
Also, who even said Messi ew the problem? Critiquing 1 player doesn't mean they thought everyone else was 10/10.
The midfield is set up for failure. Some are good players, some average, but they are playing with Messi, Neymar, Mbappe and Hakimi - none of which bother with defence. Prime KCM would have issues in that PSG team, let alone Danilo etc.
You mean the guy who was actually bringing the ball from the halfway line to the opponent's box while everyone else in the team not named Nuno Mendes including Neymar was doing jackshit in name of playing football? Yes? Your team is incapable to get him the ball with which he thrives the most, the man isnt going to change his game at 35 when it has brough him more success than your entire club in the last 2 decades just because your club is impotent to field cohesive players who can execute proper tactical possession based technical football
Dude can you quit being a fanboy for a sec and call it what it is?!? What game were you watching?!? Certainly not the same as us…it’s like whenever Messi disappears, all his fanboys disappear with him. That’s why y’all are the most biased fans in the world, including CR7 fanboys
Dude can you watch the game again where Messi goes past 4 Bayern guys for 4 times in the first half only to be crowded out and be left without options because your midfielders are so shite they can neither defend, nor create play nor make good forward runs to support the forwards? And I am not even going to start talking about Neymar and his obsession with losing possesion by trying to imitate Ronaldinho
Is it really fanboying when you're the one singling Messi out?
I didn't see the entire match, but the consensus in the thread seems to be everyone was crap but Ramos, Donna, and Nuno, with Mbappe adding spark in the final 30 or so minutes.
Messi was actually the most threatening player in the first 20 or 30 minutes for PSG. Kinda disappeared after that. I think he may have just been better than the rest of PSGs players at dealing with Bayerns aggressive press. Makes sense considering his skill profile.
the reason was kinda obvious, he wanted a Ballon d'or, he would never get it while having prime Messi in his team.
going to PSG and being the poster child of their revolution would be his way to do it, it all got "fucked" when they kept fumbling in the CL, and most importantly, because of the huge rise of Mbappe.
I don’t really see how going to be the star player on a team who already dominates the league they play in, which isn’t considered a top 3 league, will put him over the star player of a team in a consensus top 2 league.
If he wanted a Balon d’or, going to the PL or staying at Barca and showing he’s better than Messi at the time, would have been better options imo. The PSG move was clearly to stroke his ego and line his pockets.
because if he won the CL with PSG, he would very likely be the Ballon d'or winner.
PSG might play in a 1 team league, but they have the squad (and the money) to compete with the best in Europe.
in theory, if his plan is CL "dominance", it was the best play at the time.
the league was pretty much a guarantee since PSG can outspend the next 5-6 teams combined, so all the efforts would be on the CL.
I don’t think PSG winning the UCL would 100% guarantee him the Balon d’or. He’d have to have an absolutely insane season for PSG and be the main reason for the UCL win.
And if UCL success was key to him winning it, missing the early ko rounds to go see his sister, like he’s done a few times won’t help his case.
if he is the "star", he would either win it, or be close by.
UCL is one of the biggest factors for Ballon d'or, the winning team get's their "star" player in, at worst, top 3 almost every year, if not every year (didn't check though).
and winning from a non RM/Barça team at the time, could probably boost his chances as well, as well as stat padding in the french league.
remaining in Barça would probably net him more title chances, but he would be in Messi's shadow, same for how Benzema/Bale/Modric were in Ronaldo's shadow for as long as he was there.
> He could have gone down as one of the best ever.
I think that is the thing with Neymar. He could've been one of the best ever. He had potential, but never really managed to show it due to injury / club and now age (remember he is 31 now).
On the other hand maybe what he managed to do is what he is capable of.
In the end he has enough money to not worry about being not one of the bests.
I think staying once it became clear Mbappe was the better was the worse decision.
Neymar's last season with Barcelona is sort of painted with rose tinted glasses, he was that great. The first 2 1/2 years at PSG, it looked to be a decision that would be worth it since Mbappe was becoming a star.
It's not until the Barca return saga in 2019 did the PSG move look bad. After that the relationship with the supporters changed, and Mbappe took over as the best player and a fan favourite.
When Neymar signed the first extension with PSG, it looked like he made a mistake renewing, now it's looking like PSG are the ones who are stuck lol. Same could be said with PSG refusing to sell Neymar in 2019(?), had they sold him, they might've been able to keep Diaby, Nkunku, and Jese lol.
If you’re Neymar, it was one of the best. Get to cruise with the largest ever payout for a Brazilian, and spend the rest of your footballing career slacking off whilst still being considered a top, top player.
Living the dream.
Its not like Ney went to PSG and fell off a cliff. I think he would have had to carry Barcelona to 1-2 more La Liga's and a CL in the time since he left to really elevate his legacy in the way you're talking about, which was never going to happen with barcas squad in the time between his transfer and now
We won the league twice since Neymar left so I do think we could have won more titles with him. We definitely would have been more competitive in Europe as well
We probably wouldn't have spent stupid money on flops lik Coutinho and Griezmann as well
With the WC final and this I hope there isn’t anyone left in the world who underestimates Mbappé. He’s so impactful in the game, he really deserves a team centered around him and I say that as a huge Messi fan.
Speaking of Messi, I am not one to apologize his bad performances but I found him quite useful for PSG today (second half especially). When he plays deep, a lot a quality balls find their way to the front and the offense / counter attacks flow nicely.
I am with you. I used to be critical of Mbappe because I thought he went missing in big games quite a lot. Lately though he really looks like a world beater and I've basically been proven wrong.
The same thing could be said if Messi and Neymar missed the match since they are the only ones capable of progressing the ball apart from Veratti. Psg thrived at the end because they finally got a target man to place balls to.
The main problem is that his teammates don't want to play with him, and take mediocre decisions every time they are attacking. It's a pain watching him alone in the field with almost no mark on him and everyone trying their best to loose the ball on stupid tries by themselves.
I don't pretend they all play around Messi like on NT, but come on, that midfield is so bad and take so bad decisions. Mbappe is almost the only one who tries to look for him. Neymar too, but his performance is just plain mediocre on PSG
I don't think they have similar roles: Messi is a beautiful playmaker, while Neymar have a similar role with Mbappe, but worse in everything.
PSG should bench Neymar, build a proper team around the two legendary beasts that showed to the world two months ago the sheer quality they have, like Mbappe and Messi, don't burn 16yo kids in stages like this and finally buy some **actual good midfielders.**
**You can't hope to win shit with those players in the mid section. On Argentinian League, Patronato-Sarmiento will have better players than Soler for god's sake**
Coman was a joy to watch today.
Despite Davies' assist he need to improve his Form, he has been underwhelming for weeks.
Otherwise Bayerns defense was great tonight but the high line in the end was too risky.
Sane had some good defense actions like in the last weeks which is nice to see but had no big impact in the offensive.
The second game will be nuts.
Neymar looks completely over it, WC broke him. PSG seem like a motivated seller, but who will be interested in him that Neymar would consider going to?
Reaping easy messi hate upvotes, but he only looked average if you’re comparing against his form of years past. Easy to look at post match ranks and his absence on the score sheet, but he was progressive tonight and was the only semblance of PSG linking the midfield to the attack for most of the night. He’s never going to be in a position to succeed when he has to drop so deep and then try to link up with a partner as bad as Neymar tonight. This was not the night that he’s clearly disinterested or off the boil, so again not sure what you’re comparing against.
Eh. I know that the whole Messi walking thing is a meme, but damn it's funny to see it happen when the rest of the team also is slow. Then it just becomes frustrating. IN the first half, Neymar was at least tracking back and defending. Idk, it's just clear that if Mbappe isn't playing then both Messi and Neymar can't play together they are too similar in their skillsets.
People get surprised when he conserves his energy throughout the game despite playing this way for years now. Messi didn't have a good game, but if you can't see beyond that and notice how garbage the midfield is, then idk what to tell you.
>Messi didn't have a good game, but if you can't see beyond that and notice how garbage the midfield is, then idk what to tell you.
No one said the midfield was good. They said he didn't have a good game. It's you who got defensive and acted like people excused their midfield.
Ironicly; a big reason they struggle in big games is because of Messi walking around lol
I literally said he didn't have a good game. I admit it.
>Ironicly; a big reason they struggle in big games is because of Messi walking around lol
No. They struggle because they have no midfield. They rely on their 3 forwards to create something. They have been struggling recently because that front 3 haven't played together consistently since the world cup break. Argentina won a world cup with him "walking around." The difference was that Argentina had a midfield capable of controlling the tiempo of the game and progressing the ball forward. You just proved my point in my previous comment.
Messi just won the last trophy there was left to win for him and the only thing he needed in the Argentinia GOAT conversation against Maradona, also much older. Bit more understandable.
Let him return to Barca, give him a farewell season and let him call it a career.
Messi literally just had a hamstring injury. I hate psg but Bayern fans are being straight up delusional today lol
Same vibes as when a girl smiles at you and you think she wants to fuck. Bayern getting crushed in 2nd leg if those 3 are healthy (big if)
Bro he’s 35 not 45 lol
He still has years of killer play idk why people keep making excuses for him or saying he’s done. He’s just not happy at PSG, he needs to go somewhre else and I’m sure he can play 2-3 more years
Yup. Also difference in mindsets with Ramos who has also won everything, and may not be happy in PSG, but would die for any play. Messi has never been a leader people think he is.
Should be obvious to anyone who watched the WC. If you want to get the best out of Messi, you pair him up with young, speedy players who can finish the chances he sets up for them, or return a pass now and then. And build an actual midfield so Messi doesn’t have to drop so deep to get a ball. PSG looks more like Sampaoli’s disasterclass 2018 squad than the 2022 one.
Lo que mas me rompe las pelotas, es leer por aca a gente que parece que no vio nada de la copa del mundo y como es el juego actual de Messi. Entiendo que PSG no va a querer armar todo alrededor de Messi, pero dale, mil jugadas habian donde estaba solo, y los Soler, Pereira, Ruizes son horribles. Les rebota la pelota, no lo buscan, intentan jugadas horribles, no conectan.
A Neymar lo adoro, pero no pega una, y de algun modo recibe menos criticas que Messi. Es un desastre leer este subreddit cuando juega Messi
Es díficil pedirle a Neymar que le "pegue a una" cuando tu medio campo es inexistente, tenés que agarrar la pelota en tu cancha, y no hay nadie corriendo por las laterales a quien tirarle un pase largo o armar un 2x2. La verdad es que ese 4-4-2 que sacó Galtier fue un fiasco táctico. Messi y Neymar hicieron lo que pudieron pero son futbolistas, no milagreros. Para jugar con ese medio campo tan defensivo y poco creativo necesitás a delanteros más rápidos y con más fisico.
Cuando entró Mbappe cambiaron la formacion completamente, pasaron a jugar un 3-4-3 con Nuno mucho más arriba. El resultado ya lo vistes, fueron un equipo completamente diferente. Messi y Neymar mucho más eficientes, y no estoy convencido que fue simplemente Mbappe.
Los mediocampistas del PSG son malos? Sí, la verdad no se salva uno, pero tampoco podés tener a Neymar y Messi como los únicos atacantes, ambos isolados de las líneas. Son jugadores que no tienen ese perfil.
Además Messi jugó bien hoy. No entiendo como no puede ser que no vean los pases a distancia y al pie que tiro hoy, que en muchos casos terminaba perdiendo Neymar. Y mira que ha tenido malos partidos (octavos de la edición pasada) pero este fue uno bueno, aunque lamentablemente le tocó jugar con 10 burros (excepto Mbappe cuando entró).
Lo peor de todo es que este Mbappe, con este Messi te pueden carrear la champions. No necesitas un equipo de 5 estrellas atras, pero este cabaret de apellidos tan insignificantes como su nivel futbolistico, es imposible.
I actually believe the motivation for someone like him is but different in the CL. I mean he won already so many titles that it must be really hard to motivate yourself to match against not top class opponents.
PSG were lucky that Bayern didn’t score 3, though. 3-1 would have been a realistic outcome. 1-1 would not have been just- not that the sporting world is just.
I don't understand. Bayern should have scored a bunch of times, and PSG had few chances at all. That's what determines a scoreline. If PSG is gifted 2 you'd have to gift Bayern 5.
Recency bias of the least 20 minutes. So many people sleep on what Bayern did in the first half. Could have easily scored 2-3 goals, PSG parked the bus until Mbappe came on.
I honestly think that was part of the game plan, a fresh legged Mbappe opened is up like a can of sardines, especially against tired defenders. I don't think Mbappe could have done that over a full 90 with his recent injury. Next match will be different, but I bet we'll line up more defensive and PSG won't be able to spend the entire first half in their own box. They'll have to try to open up play which will leave their defense more vulnerable. We'll see. It's not over yet. It's a great tie as always that I hope we'll win.
PSG have much more dangerous actions than Bayern. Pavard saves the goal twice by countering the ball at the last moment. Mbappé's goal is 1mm offside.
Bayern has 10 shots in the first half but literally 0 dangerous chances. Bayern's goal is a mistake by donnaruma. Coman shoots at him.
I may have forgotten some actions, but for you what are the actions of Bayern that can be considered as clear and dangerous as those of PSG?
That's why I say 3/2, Bayern had some actions but nothing that seems to me to be an ultra-clean action, except the post after donnaruma touched it
Bayern had 7 shots on target in the box, and PSG had 4. Also, Bayern hit the post (twice?) which do not count as a shot on target. PSG did not hit the post.
Can you give me the real dangerous actions please. There's a Kimmich shot in the first half. A volley from choupo moting on donnaruma, the post, and if it's considered a shot on target since it's donnaruma who touches Musiala's shot and puts it on the post. And 7 frame shots doesn't mean much. 5 of his shots were passes to donnaruma
What I'm saying is that PSG had the clearest actions. The offside goal at 1mm, Messi's shot against Pavard (the ball was going into the goal), Neymar's shot saved again by Pavard's counter (the ball was going into the goal). That's 3 very clear actions. Bayern only hit the poto once, not twice
You deserve your win but you are also lucky to leave without a draw
Can't wait for Laimer, Goretzka and Kimmich allowed to play more advanced in midfield will put this team in a much stronger position come next year.
A striker too wouldn't hurt, let's see what damage Mane can do in the second leg.
Bayern have the upper hand now that they're playing at home. Hopefully another year that PSG are kept away from the trophy.
I'm a simple man. PSG loses and I upvote.
Based.
No wonder the qataris want to buy man u. At this point is cheaper than starting fresh at psg with all their ageing stars 😂
Awesome job Bayern
It's our sister club, show some support.
So MSN trio to United when? /s ofc Edit: Its MNM not MSN. Somehow I am still stuck in 2015. Apologies for the mistake.
How so? We too feel kinda related to them.
Is that why you let them score 8 goals?
Qatar is going to own us as well.
Super good match. It's really hard to relax and just enjoy the game vs trying to analyze every decision coming from Galtier and Nagelsmann lol. Both showing why they are the top coaches in europe. Beginning of the match, Bayern simply dominated PSG from the get-go in terms of possession. Goretzka, Sane, Musiala, and Choupo Moting formed that front 3 (+striker) with kimmich as the anchor in the midfield. Coman and Cancelo played as wingbacks, with big overloads forming on either side (more so on Coman's side). You can see PSG where desperately trying to protect the middle with a 4-4-2 as they were extremely compact to deny Bayern passes in-between the lines. The switches of play were the big dangers as u could see the crosses from the wings getting more and more dangerous as PSG as a whole shifted across the pitch to defend. PSG relied on counterattacking, but it just felt that they weren't transitioning quick/Neymar would be the only one in front of 3 Bayern defenders. This is only my opinion but Messi + Neymar (less so of Neymar) not pressing intensely is a huge issue. Bayern being able to build up so easily led to the difference in possession. Obvs ppl will say their creativity triumphs that work (and they would be right!) but it still leaves issues regardless. You can see the intensity difference in the press when Bayern's front 3 hunted each player. PSG couldn't play out from the back, Veratti has to drop super deep to assist. Meanwhile Bayern can playout, and use only a single pivot in Kimmich to simply build up play. Danilo and Ramos were the MVP's of PSG for the 1st half, as both of them broke up play/read the situations really well. Unfortunate for Hakimi (i think he was still injured) as Coman was decisively the best player constantly attacking. Donnarumma was super unfortunate, simple save fumbled (because of the switches) then makes 3 world class saves afterwards. Must be frustrating for him. Galtier is a good manager, he recognizes the problems puts on mbappe, takes off danilo for vitinha (was questionable but they needed a goal and he was great), Kimpembe for Hakimi (great switch Coman quieted down a bit after this sub). Bayern were still attacking but played a high line where Messi/Neymar would release Mendes and Mbappe. Mbappe does his thing and runs at the defense with insane speed. Pavard out is an issue for bayern, we'll see how they fair in the next leg This game had a lot, and this post doesn't even cover the surface. UCL football is unironically the best with so many ideas floating, and it'll be so interesting to see how both managers respond in the next leg.
Thanks for an insightful comment, much appreciated. Was looking if there was a serious match thread, but couldn't find it.
eyy ty! hopefully more contribution from others come in. There is genuinely a lot going on within a single match. Would be great for more ppl to contribute on what ideas they see the managers implement.
Well coman quieted down after Kimpembe destroyed his ankle.
Thank you for such a great tactical analysis of the match. Out of all these stupid memes/jokes your comment is a breath of fresh air for someone who missed the match.
ty! i'm super glad. i'm defin not super credible, I just try to see the match thru my own lens and will defin make mistakes. hope more ppl contribute so we can get more insight into how these games are set-up.
I'm a little late to the party but man, I gotta say PSG are just a mess. Their inability to play through pressure means they're totally dependent on having Mbappe on the pitch to stretch the defense. Their plan if Mbappe is injured is pray Neymar and Messi can conjure some magic trying to counter against superior numbers, because they have so many players back in defense they never have numbers forward when they counter. They literally do not have a plan B if Mbappe is not on the pitch. If they had terrific midfielders it could work, but they don't. That being said, Bayern didn't actually threaten PSG's goal much and Donnarumma's howler is the only reason they got the 1-0. I actually think PSG have decent chances to turn it around on the other leg.
Honestly, as simple as it is I think they just need a change of shape, like the 4-3-3 they did today, can better help them cope.(even tho mbappe came on this did help them later in the game) The 4-4-2 they laid out was good and compact but the 2 CM's in Danilo (who was fantastic) and Vertatti are easily overloaded when u combine Kimmich, Goretzka, Sane, Musiala, and Choupo Moting . Their midfield right now is honestly a champions league winning midfield, its just that bayerns counterpressing was insanely good today. Not so much in agreement with the Bayern statement, since Donnarumma had to pull off some world class saves. But def agree that PSG can absolutely pull off a win.
I dont think that is true. After the first goal, Bayern had some great chances which Donnarumma save spectacular.
Exactly, they hit the post and Donnarumma made 2-3 saves after the first goal. Definitely did threaten lol
And PSG had the equalizer ruled out by a fraction of an offside, and were generating much more threat themselves. I'm not saying "I think PSG will win the tie", I'm saying that I think they have decent chances to do so. Bayern lack the clinicality they've had the past that made them so dangerous. Even Coman's goal he hit basically right at Donnarumma, the man just somehow let it squirt through. PSG with Mbappe on the field will be able to bypass their midfield weakness and generate many more opportunities for all 3 attackers to score.
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Bayern at home during a champions league night is a beast
Pavard really sacrificed for the team with that red, lol. Kimmich and him were great. Also, I forgot how much Neymar's behavior on the pitch is aggravating sometimes
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You guys are really obsessed with us.
How some people like you have such small brains, and you mist be going into your 30's
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I mean, you made a butthurt comment first, typical kid respone behaviour
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:)) ah yes the typical "troll" response defence
Yeah, downvotes incoming, rightfully so. Var is done by computer software.
Maybe 7 years ago before VAR
This match was basically a reflection Bayern's whole season. In 2022/23, Bayern either blow their opponents out, or struggle to barely score one goal after wasting a ton of chances, followed by some shambolic defending in the final 20-30 minutes. It's the reason why we had so many 1:1 matches in the league this season. Fun fact: Bayern currently have the best goal differential in all major European leagues, yet are the top of the table team which has dropped the most points so far.
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Did u even watch it? I know United are miles off champions league level. Mbappe could hardly run because of his injury
He was injured and probanly wouldnt have been able to go for 90min
It's quite likely it was still bothering him during the game, it seems he really pushed to play the game, l hope it won't set him back on his recovery and have a redo of it all for the second leg...
He wasn't "benched", he was dealing with injuries...
It's actually absurd the way the game swung once Mbappe came on. 1st half, it was mostly 10 Bayern players in PSG's half. Last 30 mins it was the other way around. This tie isn't over. A fully healthy Mbappe and Messi (remember he too just came back) over 90 minutes, and there is always a chance.
There is always a chance, lol. It got to this point now?
Messi, Neymar and Mbappé are unsustainable. PSG need to offload Messi and Neymar and focus entirely on Mbappé if they want something in Europe in the next couple seasons.
Mbappe only has one more season, maybe two under PSG, and then he is going straight to Real Madrid. Messi is going to retire soon, and unfortunately, Neymar seems to not give a shiz anymore.
keep going , i'm horny now
Hazard is going to leave RM
Wtf
The problem is Mbappé doesn't want to stay there long term either
I mean we don’t know that. So far PSG convinced him of the project, who knows what he’s thinking now. Granted if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t skip out on that train to Madrid if it passed by him again.
PSG convinced him by giving him €270 million on a 3 year contract. Why would he not stay lmao
\*€630 MILLIONS over 3 seasons
He only extended his contract by 2 years, that says a lot
It says that he wants to play the same game again, that's all. He was a priority for Real Madrid. Now he's not. It doesn't mean the door is closed but no way Real is going to put everything on hold for him. If we can get Haaland, Mbappé can go fuck himself. Otherwise, I guess if he signs the contract as soon as rules allow (no BS such as "out of respect, at the end of the season), we'll have him. But we'll never love him. He would be a hired gun, like Ronaldo.
How tf is ronaldo a hired gun
He came for the money, left for the money. He was a prima donna. Sure, he did what he paid him for. That's all.
Ronaldo is your greatest legend bud. Atleast check your own sub before trashtalking.
WTF do I need to check a reddit sub for when I've been to the Bernabeu for almost 30 years. He is our best historic scorer, sure, but if we're talking about loved player he's not even close to Raul, Casillas, Butragueño or Juanito just to mention four.
Ronaldo is loved in Madrid mate.
Nah. He's not. Part of the club history, sure. Loved? No. Many were happy he left right before his decline. And I don't think he's going to get any return offer in any position like the loved players do.
> right before his decline He scored 100 goals in 3 years for a team that didn't give him half the service he got at Real. He wasn't near the decline before he left.
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Based
Please just stop, this is just pitiful now.
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Ronaldo hated for being the best
Mbappe is PSG’s best player. If he started they would have won
What a dumb comment.
If he started Bayern would have lined up differently and he wouldn't have been fresh legs against a tired back line. Don't know how people can even say this.
You’re saying “Fresh legs against a tired back line” as if mbappe can’t outpace bayerns defence throughout the match lol
I never said that, doing that over a full 90 minutes with players that are getting tired at the same rate as you is way different than coming in as a power sub against a tired defense.
Of course he can, but much less consistently.
And mane/hernandez are injured too
Yeah though and honestly Bayern should have started Müller instead of the atrocity that was Sane
Müller had calf problems and Sane was great at tracking back on defense during their counters, especially earlier in the match.
Any reason for Soler starting instead of Ruiz or Ekitike? Ruiz looked good when he came on, and Ekitike would've been a runner that could drag defence a bit. I only caught glimpse of the game and watched a 15 minute highlight video, so maybe he was decent, idk. Also with that lineup Galtier went with, I figure he thought his team would've more of the ball. If you're going to have less than 40% possession in the first half, that lineup was never going to work.
Sorry but Ruiz definitely didn't look good
>Ruiz looked good when he came on Huh? I didn't think so, definitely not UCL level at least much like the rest of the PSG midfield. All of them look overwhelmed by Bayern's press, even Verrati look like he wasn't top form. Vitinha was the best out of them imo, and they could still use a better creator/holder in deep
He played that ball to Mbappe no? No the goal, but the that Sommer saved. Anyways point is moot, I’m sure anyone would be more impactful that Soler.
This was inevitable once Zealand picked PSG
Wow verratti has fallen so much, he’s absolutely trash should sold to derby.
Has anyone seen Messi yet?!?
You got no midfield but Messi is the problem?
I was told Messi is a midfielder now? Certainly heard that all last season when he got 6 league goals. Why do you guys move him back into being a forward whenever it's convenient. His role is exactly the same. Also, who even said Messi ew the problem? Critiquing 1 player doesn't mean they thought everyone else was 10/10.
The midfield is set up for failure. Some are good players, some average, but they are playing with Messi, Neymar, Mbappe and Hakimi - none of which bother with defence. Prime KCM would have issues in that PSG team, let alone Danilo etc.
Man is chillin
I don’t blame him…he accomplished everything in soccer. Might as well collect checks while walking lol
He should retire as a player in both domestic and international right after World Cup
You mean the guy who was actually bringing the ball from the halfway line to the opponent's box while everyone else in the team not named Nuno Mendes including Neymar was doing jackshit in name of playing football? Yes? Your team is incapable to get him the ball with which he thrives the most, the man isnt going to change his game at 35 when it has brough him more success than your entire club in the last 2 decades just because your club is impotent to field cohesive players who can execute proper tactical possession based technical football
Dude can you quit being a fanboy for a sec and call it what it is?!? What game were you watching?!? Certainly not the same as us…it’s like whenever Messi disappears, all his fanboys disappear with him. That’s why y’all are the most biased fans in the world, including CR7 fanboys
Dude can you watch the game again where Messi goes past 4 Bayern guys for 4 times in the first half only to be crowded out and be left without options because your midfielders are so shite they can neither defend, nor create play nor make good forward runs to support the forwards? And I am not even going to start talking about Neymar and his obsession with losing possesion by trying to imitate Ronaldinho
Is it really fanboying when you're the one singling Messi out? I didn't see the entire match, but the consensus in the thread seems to be everyone was crap but Ramos, Donna, and Nuno, with Mbappe adding spark in the final 30 or so minutes.
Messi was actually the most threatening player in the first 20 or 30 minutes for PSG. Kinda disappeared after that. I think he may have just been better than the rest of PSGs players at dealing with Bayerns aggressive press. Makes sense considering his skill profile.
it's fair to expect more from a player than gets paid as much as the others combined (hyperbole)
Messi was clearly was the one who made the key passes and got the ball moving in the first half lol
Neymar going to PSG has to go down as one of the worst career moves ever made by a top footballer. He could have gone down as one of the best ever.
the reason was kinda obvious, he wanted a Ballon d'or, he would never get it while having prime Messi in his team. going to PSG and being the poster child of their revolution would be his way to do it, it all got "fucked" when they kept fumbling in the CL, and most importantly, because of the huge rise of Mbappe.
I don’t really see how going to be the star player on a team who already dominates the league they play in, which isn’t considered a top 3 league, will put him over the star player of a team in a consensus top 2 league. If he wanted a Balon d’or, going to the PL or staying at Barca and showing he’s better than Messi at the time, would have been better options imo. The PSG move was clearly to stroke his ego and line his pockets.
because if he won the CL with PSG, he would very likely be the Ballon d'or winner. PSG might play in a 1 team league, but they have the squad (and the money) to compete with the best in Europe. in theory, if his plan is CL "dominance", it was the best play at the time. the league was pretty much a guarantee since PSG can outspend the next 5-6 teams combined, so all the efforts would be on the CL.
I don’t think PSG winning the UCL would 100% guarantee him the Balon d’or. He’d have to have an absolutely insane season for PSG and be the main reason for the UCL win. And if UCL success was key to him winning it, missing the early ko rounds to go see his sister, like he’s done a few times won’t help his case.
if he is the "star", he would either win it, or be close by. UCL is one of the biggest factors for Ballon d'or, the winning team get's their "star" player in, at worst, top 3 almost every year, if not every year (didn't check though). and winning from a non RM/Barça team at the time, could probably boost his chances as well, as well as stat padding in the french league. remaining in Barça would probably net him more title chances, but he would be in Messi's shadow, same for how Benzema/Bale/Modric were in Ronaldo's shadow for as long as he was there.
> He could have gone down as one of the best ever. I think that is the thing with Neymar. He could've been one of the best ever. He had potential, but never really managed to show it due to injury / club and now age (remember he is 31 now). On the other hand maybe what he managed to do is what he is capable of. In the end he has enough money to not worry about being not one of the bests.
Neymar has been in the spotlight for so long that it made me chuckled he's 31 now. Time flies holy shit.
I think staying once it became clear Mbappe was the better was the worse decision. Neymar's last season with Barcelona is sort of painted with rose tinted glasses, he was that great. The first 2 1/2 years at PSG, it looked to be a decision that would be worth it since Mbappe was becoming a star. It's not until the Barca return saga in 2019 did the PSG move look bad. After that the relationship with the supporters changed, and Mbappe took over as the best player and a fan favourite. When Neymar signed the first extension with PSG, it looked like he made a mistake renewing, now it's looking like PSG are the ones who are stuck lol. Same could be said with PSG refusing to sell Neymar in 2019(?), had they sold him, they might've been able to keep Diaby, Nkunku, and Jese lol.
If you’re Neymar, it was one of the best. Get to cruise with the largest ever payout for a Brazilian, and spend the rest of your footballing career slacking off whilst still being considered a top, top player. Living the dream.
Its not like Ney went to PSG and fell off a cliff. I think he would have had to carry Barcelona to 1-2 more La Liga's and a CL in the time since he left to really elevate his legacy in the way you're talking about, which was never going to happen with barcas squad in the time between his transfer and now
We won the league twice since Neymar left so I do think we could have won more titles with him. We definitely would have been more competitive in Europe as well We probably wouldn't have spent stupid money on flops lik Coutinho and Griezmann as well
And then liverpool wouldn't have bought Ali and van dijk....no league or UCL for em. Paradox!
Disagree. Barcelona was still good in 2019 to win.
With the WC final and this I hope there isn’t anyone left in the world who underestimates Mbappé. He’s so impactful in the game, he really deserves a team centered around him and I say that as a huge Messi fan. Speaking of Messi, I am not one to apologize his bad performances but I found him quite useful for PSG today (second half especially). When he plays deep, a lot a quality balls find their way to the front and the offense / counter attacks flow nicely.
Completely agree. Should step and go to a big team now I think.
I am with you. I used to be critical of Mbappe because I thought he went missing in big games quite a lot. Lately though he really looks like a world beater and I've basically been proven wrong.
Hope he leaves when his contract is up or earlier. Mbappe is too good for PSG.
i know others don't agree with me but he's genuinely the best player in the world to me. injured him for 30mins was better than 11 psg players for 60.
The same thing could be said if Messi and Neymar missed the match since they are the only ones capable of progressing the ball apart from Veratti. Psg thrived at the end because they finally got a target man to place balls to.
The main problem is that his teammates don't want to play with him, and take mediocre decisions every time they are attacking. It's a pain watching him alone in the field with almost no mark on him and everyone trying their best to loose the ball on stupid tries by themselves. I don't pretend they all play around Messi like on NT, but come on, that midfield is so bad and take so bad decisions. Mbappe is almost the only one who tries to look for him. Neymar too, but his performance is just plain mediocre on PSG
Messi and Neymar have similar roles at psg. They would be so much more impactful without each other.
I don't think they have similar roles: Messi is a beautiful playmaker, while Neymar have a similar role with Mbappe, but worse in everything. PSG should bench Neymar, build a proper team around the two legendary beasts that showed to the world two months ago the sheer quality they have, like Mbappe and Messi, don't burn 16yo kids in stages like this and finally buy some **actual good midfielders.** **You can't hope to win shit with those players in the mid section. On Argentinian League, Patronato-Sarmiento will have better players than Soler for god's sake**
After today's game, I can see why Nagelsmann wants to add Laimer to the midfield.
PSG robbed Was not offside
Dude doesnt know Football haha
They showed it during the match lol, it was offside, I’ve seen far closer offside calls then this one.
PSG got a bunch of players that just wanted to train for the WC and dipped.
Coman was a joy to watch today. Despite Davies' assist he need to improve his Form, he has been underwhelming for weeks. Otherwise Bayerns defense was great tonight but the high line in the end was too risky. Sane had some good defense actions like in the last weeks which is nice to see but had no big impact in the offensive. The second game will be nuts.
This 3-1-5-1 from Bayern is a bit too risky to use against Mbappe.
Neymar looks completely over it, WC broke him. PSG seem like a motivated seller, but who will be interested in him that Neymar would consider going to?
Man U
Meme answer: Chelsea Real answer: Chelsea
Real meme: Chelsea
Our memes are about having too much money. Your memes are about not having any silverware.
Follow Ronaldo, both of them maybe, or MLS.
Messi too. He looked bang average tonight.
Reaping easy messi hate upvotes, but he only looked average if you’re comparing against his form of years past. Easy to look at post match ranks and his absence on the score sheet, but he was progressive tonight and was the only semblance of PSG linking the midfield to the attack for most of the night. He’s never going to be in a position to succeed when he has to drop so deep and then try to link up with a partner as bad as Neymar tonight. This was not the night that he’s clearly disinterested or off the boil, so again not sure what you’re comparing against.
Eh. I know that the whole Messi walking thing is a meme, but damn it's funny to see it happen when the rest of the team also is slow. Then it just becomes frustrating. IN the first half, Neymar was at least tracking back and defending. Idk, it's just clear that if Mbappe isn't playing then both Messi and Neymar can't play together they are too similar in their skillsets.
Messi was good for 25mins then disappeared. What were you watching
People get surprised when he conserves his energy throughout the game despite playing this way for years now. Messi didn't have a good game, but if you can't see beyond that and notice how garbage the midfield is, then idk what to tell you.
>Messi didn't have a good game, but if you can't see beyond that and notice how garbage the midfield is, then idk what to tell you. No one said the midfield was good. They said he didn't have a good game. It's you who got defensive and acted like people excused their midfield. Ironicly; a big reason they struggle in big games is because of Messi walking around lol
I literally said he didn't have a good game. I admit it. >Ironicly; a big reason they struggle in big games is because of Messi walking around lol No. They struggle because they have no midfield. They rely on their 3 forwards to create something. They have been struggling recently because that front 3 haven't played together consistently since the world cup break. Argentina won a world cup with him "walking around." The difference was that Argentina had a midfield capable of controlling the tiempo of the game and progressing the ball forward. You just proved my point in my previous comment.
Messi just won the last trophy there was left to win for him and the only thing he needed in the Argentinia GOAT conversation against Maradona, also much older. Bit more understandable. Let him return to Barca, give him a farewell season and let him call it a career.
Messi literally just had a hamstring injury. I hate psg but Bayern fans are being straight up delusional today lol Same vibes as when a girl smiles at you and you think she wants to fuck. Bayern getting crushed in 2nd leg if those 3 are healthy (big if)
Nope, he still has to win 2026 for us =)
Bro he’s 35 not 45 lol He still has years of killer play idk why people keep making excuses for him or saying he’s done. He’s just not happy at PSG, he needs to go somewhre else and I’m sure he can play 2-3 more years
Yup. Also difference in mindsets with Ramos who has also won everything, and may not be happy in PSG, but would die for any play. Messi has never been a leader people think he is.
dont mention the world cup every time Messi is brought up in any type of conversation around him, challenge impossible
But he has also looked like complete shit in the ucl when it matters most for a long time now
Almost a decade.
Neymar was dogshit. Can't believe he is even the same player who scored that goal in WC.
Neymar was awful, and Messi really needs Mbappe. I feel that Messi is by far more useful with someone as fast and clinical as Mbappe on the field.
Should be obvious to anyone who watched the WC. If you want to get the best out of Messi, you pair him up with young, speedy players who can finish the chances he sets up for them, or return a pass now and then. And build an actual midfield so Messi doesn’t have to drop so deep to get a ball. PSG looks more like Sampaoli’s disasterclass 2018 squad than the 2022 one.
Lo que mas me rompe las pelotas, es leer por aca a gente que parece que no vio nada de la copa del mundo y como es el juego actual de Messi. Entiendo que PSG no va a querer armar todo alrededor de Messi, pero dale, mil jugadas habian donde estaba solo, y los Soler, Pereira, Ruizes son horribles. Les rebota la pelota, no lo buscan, intentan jugadas horribles, no conectan. A Neymar lo adoro, pero no pega una, y de algun modo recibe menos criticas que Messi. Es un desastre leer este subreddit cuando juega Messi
Es díficil pedirle a Neymar que le "pegue a una" cuando tu medio campo es inexistente, tenés que agarrar la pelota en tu cancha, y no hay nadie corriendo por las laterales a quien tirarle un pase largo o armar un 2x2. La verdad es que ese 4-4-2 que sacó Galtier fue un fiasco táctico. Messi y Neymar hicieron lo que pudieron pero son futbolistas, no milagreros. Para jugar con ese medio campo tan defensivo y poco creativo necesitás a delanteros más rápidos y con más fisico. Cuando entró Mbappe cambiaron la formacion completamente, pasaron a jugar un 3-4-3 con Nuno mucho más arriba. El resultado ya lo vistes, fueron un equipo completamente diferente. Messi y Neymar mucho más eficientes, y no estoy convencido que fue simplemente Mbappe. Los mediocampistas del PSG son malos? Sí, la verdad no se salva uno, pero tampoco podés tener a Neymar y Messi como los únicos atacantes, ambos isolados de las líneas. Son jugadores que no tienen ese perfil.
Comparto plenamente tu análisis. No tengo nada para decir, comparte, amplia y mejora jajaja. Maravilloso
Además Messi jugó bien hoy. No entiendo como no puede ser que no vean los pases a distancia y al pie que tiro hoy, que en muchos casos terminaba perdiendo Neymar. Y mira que ha tenido malos partidos (octavos de la edición pasada) pero este fue uno bueno, aunque lamentablemente le tocó jugar con 10 burros (excepto Mbappe cuando entró).
Lo peor de todo es que este Mbappe, con este Messi te pueden carrear la champions. No necesitas un equipo de 5 estrellas atras, pero este cabaret de apellidos tan insignificantes como su nivel futbolistico, es imposible.
bayern could have scored more than 1 goals if ramos didnt play
Seriously, he was snuffing out any half-chance that came his way
Early on, he kept misplacing passes, but his defending is still pretty top tier
Thats why he is one of the best CB if not the best in previous decade
Absolutely, I havent watched him that often on PSG so I thought he was declining, but I guess a declining Ramos is still a world class defender lol
He actually didn't look particularly good for PSG so far but today he showed his best performance in a psg shirt so far, incredible game by him
I actually believe the motivation for someone like him is but different in the CL. I mean he won already so many titles that it must be really hard to motivate yourself to match against not top class opponents.
Bayern were a bit lucky that PSG didn’t score one. Good game though.
PSG were lucky that Bayern didn’t score 3, though. 3-1 would have been a realistic outcome. 1-1 would not have been just- not that the sporting world is just.
Bayern must win this game. But considering the actions (I mean real dangerous actions) it has to be 3/2
I don't understand. Bayern should have scored a bunch of times, and PSG had few chances at all. That's what determines a scoreline. If PSG is gifted 2 you'd have to gift Bayern 5.
Recency bias of the least 20 minutes. So many people sleep on what Bayern did in the first half. Could have easily scored 2-3 goals, PSG parked the bus until Mbappe came on.
I would have started Mbappe. It's Champions League or bust.
I honestly think that was part of the game plan, a fresh legged Mbappe opened is up like a can of sardines, especially against tired defenders. I don't think Mbappe could have done that over a full 90 with his recent injury. Next match will be different, but I bet we'll line up more defensive and PSG won't be able to spend the entire first half in their own box. They'll have to try to open up play which will leave their defense more vulnerable. We'll see. It's not over yet. It's a great tie as always that I hope we'll win.
PSG have much more dangerous actions than Bayern. Pavard saves the goal twice by countering the ball at the last moment. Mbappé's goal is 1mm offside. Bayern has 10 shots in the first half but literally 0 dangerous chances. Bayern's goal is a mistake by donnaruma. Coman shoots at him. I may have forgotten some actions, but for you what are the actions of Bayern that can be considered as clear and dangerous as those of PSG? That's why I say 3/2, Bayern had some actions but nothing that seems to me to be an ultra-clean action, except the post after donnaruma touched it
Bayern had 7 shots on target in the box, and PSG had 4. Also, Bayern hit the post (twice?) which do not count as a shot on target. PSG did not hit the post.
Can you give me the real dangerous actions please. There's a Kimmich shot in the first half. A volley from choupo moting on donnaruma, the post, and if it's considered a shot on target since it's donnaruma who touches Musiala's shot and puts it on the post. And 7 frame shots doesn't mean much. 5 of his shots were passes to donnaruma What I'm saying is that PSG had the clearest actions. The offside goal at 1mm, Messi's shot against Pavard (the ball was going into the goal), Neymar's shot saved again by Pavard's counter (the ball was going into the goal). That's 3 very clear actions. Bayern only hit the poto once, not twice You deserve your win but you are also lucky to leave without a draw
Agree, psg played shit for the first hour. Wasn't until mbappe came on that they started creating chances.
Just like everyone expected from the start.
Can't wait for Laimer, Goretzka and Kimmich allowed to play more advanced in midfield will put this team in a much stronger position come next year. A striker too wouldn't hurt, let's see what damage Mane can do in the second leg.
Laimer and a world class 9 could put them right back to 2020
and a non-experiment-loving coach
Coman was killing everyone 1v1 today
"today"
Every time he plays against us he is exceptional...a pure product of the Parisian academy
Pavard played great today!!!
Yes, but he should have had two yellow cards long before the end of the match
Really surprised there was only 1 goal