If there was a surprise in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League exit, it wasn’t the fact it went out to Bayern, but the manner of the exit. This was PSG’s fifth elimination in the last 16 in the last seven years, and, in one sense, there is no shame in going out to the perennial German champion. But this was a desperately limp display, disjointed and, frankly, lacking in heart.
In the second half, when it needed at least a goal to make up the first-leg deficit, there was nothing. This is far from a great Bayern, but it slowly ramped up the pressure after halftime. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had a goal ruled out because Thomas Müller was just offside, but then he later opened the scoring on 61 minutes to put Bayern 2–0 up in aggregate. For the Cameroonian, perhaps, there was a sense of vindication having been released by PSG in 2020.
IMAGO/Eibner
This is not, though, an especially creative Bayern, an issue not helped by the absences of Robert Lewandowski and Sadio Mané, although the Senegal international was fit enough to come off the bench. That was a factor in the first leg when it could not take full advantage of dominating the first hour or so, and it was a factor here in as much as the opener was a gift. El Chadaille Bitshiabu’s pass put Marco Verratti under pressure and, when he was dispossessed by Müller, Leon Goretzka calmly squared for Choupo-Moting to score. Bayern was more than good enough to see off PSG, but far tougher challenges await. The second, neatly converted by Serge Gnabry, came late on from a rapid counter against weary, overcommitted opponents.
PSG may be eight points clear in Ligue 1—although this was a sixth defeat in 2023— but this has been a poor European campaign. Perhaps there was some bad luck. Losing Marquinhos to injury nine minutes before halftime was bad enough, but his replacement, Nordi Mukiele, was himself forced off at the break, and it was his replacement, Bitshiabu, whose mistake led to the opening goal.
But to speak of an unfortunate draw is to ignore the fact that it drew Bayern only because it came second in the group, thanks largely to inexcusable sloppiness, twice laboring to 2–1 wins over Juventus and twice failing to beat Benfica, which allowed the Portuguese champion to pinch top spot in the table. Benfica’s reward was a last-16 tie against Club Brugge, which it won 7–1 on aggregate.
The first leg had been a slightly strange game that had served largely to highlight the shortcomings of both sides. Without Kylian Mbappé, PSG had played a 4-4-2 that quickly became stretched, allowing Bayern to dominate possession. Bayern did get the winner, but perhaps didn’t quite have the self-belief really to take advantage, and when Mbappé came off the bench for the final half hour, Bayern wobbled badly.
This time there was no Neymar, who is out until the end of the season, meaning PSG again went in with a front two. This time, though, the shape was 3-5-2 and the midfield far more combative with Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz both included. It felt a lot more balanced and the game far more competitive than it had been at the Parc des Princes. There was no period of domination such as Bayern had enjoyed then, but neither was there the sort of panic that had characterized Bayern’s defending late on.
Early on, Bayern was quite happy to sit off and absorb PSG’s attacks, which had the advantage of allowing its defense to sit deep, denying Mbappé room to accelerate into. Although PSG shaded possession, the only real chance it created before halftime came after Yann Sommer had been dispossessed in his own box, Matthijs de Ligt getting back to hook Vitinha’s shot off the line. After the break, even as it was forced to chase the game, PSG’s only real threat was Sergio Ramos from corners.
This was all very familiar: an isolated forward line struggling to impose itself, more aggressive opponents able to overwhelm it in midfield, critical mistakes at a key moment, an inability outside the facile environment of Ligue 1 to fight. Twelve years after Qatar Sports Investment, PSG is no nearer winning the Champions League. It has built a star-laden celebrity playground; it has totally failed to build a high-class football team.
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