PSG v Bayern, Umtiti puts the « almost perfect » spectacle back in focus

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·1 May 2026

PSG v Bayern, Umtiti puts the « almost perfect » spectacle back in focus

Asked by Top Mercato after the spectacular PSG/Bayern clash, Samuel Umtiti, 32, a former center-back now retired, above all wanted to focus on the enjoyment provided by Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. The former OL, Barça and Lille player believes the attacking quality largely dominated the proceedings.

Umtiti: “I think the defenses certainly could have done better”

“The attacks really delivered. There was superb technical quality; it’s rare to see that in a match, almost to the point of perfection. Whatever each attacker wanted to do, he managed to do it. They were very accurate in their passing, movement, and combinations. And it’s not easy for a defender or a defensive line to defend well when that’s the case. I think the defenses certainly could have done better. But scoring that many goals in a match isn’t easy, and those attack-minded teams deserve praise. It gives us, the spectators, real pleasure. People come out for that. As a coach, there are things to review, for sure. But as a spectator, you just have to congratulate both teams for what they were able to offer us offensively.

Umtiti: “They are the two best teams in Europe”

The second leg? Anything is possible! These are the two best teams in Europe at the moment meeting each other. We saw it with the goals, the intensity, and the technical quality of all the players. It’s complicated to make a prediction. I just want to sit down and watch this great spectacle, which there will also be in Munich.”

In his analysis, Samuel Umtiti does not deny that the defenses could have handled certain situations better. But the former France international is above all unwilling to reduce such a match to a series of mistakes or tactical shortcomings. For him, the intensity, technical precision, and the attackers’ efficiency reached a level rare enough to be praised before being dissected.

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That is also what makes this PSG/Bayern clash so memorable: two attack-minded teams, capable of creating danger in almost every sequence, to the point of making the defenders’ task particularly thankless. Umtiti is therefore looking at this two-legged tie with the eye of an expert, but also as a spectator. And honestly, turning your nose up at such a spectacle would almost be professional misconduct. We want more; it’s not that common to see such a show.

The second leg in Munich will inevitably retain an element of uncertainty, given how both teams showed they can blow a match open at any moment. But that is precisely what makes the fixture so eagerly awaited: Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern seem capable of turning every difficult spell into another twist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.