Was PSG 5-4 Bayern so good because the defending was so bad? Nine goals analysed… | OneFootball

Is the reaction to probably the best Champions League semi-final ever shining a light on the joyless who walk among us?

PSG and Bayern Munich played out a breathless thriller, each team going for the other’s throat. It was absolutely brilliant.

Inevitably, there were some left holding a glass half empty. Rather than give all the credit to the positivity of both approaches, and the supreme attacking talent on display, they criticise the defending.

Is that fair?

Yeah, probably. Defending is as much a part of the game as attacking – more so in the Premier League these days – and the likes of Wayne Rooney and Clarence Seedorf ought to point out the bad as well as the brilliant.

Was the defending really that bad? Well, it wasn’t good…

Of the nine goals, we would question the defending for seven of them. But it certainly doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of an all-time classic.

Here’s the breakdown of all nine goals…

PSG 0-1 Bayern (Kane, penalty)

There is an alarming lack of pressure on the ball as Joshua Kimmich is allowed to cruise centrally towards the PSG box. The hosts’ back four is completely unscreened, allowing one of the best central midfielders in Europe to draw out Marquinhos and thread a pass into Michael Olise. Luis Diaz creeps into the space vacated by Marquinhos and prompts a desperate lunge from Willian Pacho.

PSG 1-1 Bayern (Kvaratskhelia)

Josip Stanisic and Dayot Upamecano go in tight on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue but Upamecano can’t get close enough to Doue to stop the PSG attacker from dropping a ball in behind the Bayern right-back. Stanisic recovers to decent position as Kvaratskhelia takes his first touch and enters the box, and the Bayern man tries to do the right thing by keeping the PSG star on the outside but he falls victim to a body feint after a step over to allow his opponent an inside track.

With Upamecano down the shops, Jonathan Tah is wary of the two-on-two away from the ball and even though he steps across as Kvaratskhelia lines up his shot, the centre-back is too far away and falls to step across to cut off the line to the far post. Even if the finish is a beauty.

PSG 2-1 Bayern (Joao Neves)

A header from a corner, this one, with Joao Neves running off Jamal Musiala. The Bayern attacker is hoping one of the zonal markers can dig him out but, expecting an in-swinger closer to the keeper, Kimmich and Kane are deep, halfway inside the six-yard box, allowing Neves an unchallenged glancing header.

PSG 2-2 Bayern (Olise)

Again, PSG allow Bayern to run at an unscreened back four from a central area. And when it’s Olise running at you, you’re usually f***ed. Warren Zaire-Emery offers, at best, a token challenge but he’s already the wrong side of Olise and neither centre-back gets out – this one is on Pacho since Marquinhos is preoccupied by Musiala.

PSG 3-2 Bayern (Dembele, pen)

A nonsense award of a penalty. Alphonso Davies takes his hands from behind his back to get in the way of Dembele’s cross, but not only is it struck from close range, the ball also deflects off his body first.

PSG 4-2 Bayern (Kvaratskhelia)

Too easy for PSG. Konrad Laimer and Luis Diaz get themselves into a mess on the left, the former dragged deep by Doue, while Achraf Hakimi makes the opposite run, a burst forward that Diaz fails to track. Hakimi, with time to assess his options and the Middle East crisis, tries to pick out one of Dembele or Zaire-Emery but his pass misses both, rolling on to Kvaratskhelia.

This one isn’t a good look on Manuel Neuer, who seems to guess that Kvaratskhelia is going for the far post again. But Neuer sees that Stanisic is in a good position to cover the near post. Just not good enough. Kvaratskhelia drills the ball in the gap between defender and post, while Neuer flies in the wrong direction.

PSG 5-2 Bayern (Dembele)

A similar story of Neuer anticipating a shot from his right to the far post, but Dembele pulls it near side. The veteran keeper felt Upamecano had the near post covered but Dembele’s last touch to open the angle for the shot also separates the defender’s legs, opening a line into the bottom corner, with Neuer’s weight shifted too far left to react to his right.

PSG 5-3 Bayern (Upamecano)

Upamecano is rather more fleet of foot to reach Kimmich’s perfect set-piece delivery from deep, slightly left of centre. PSG’s defensive line, though, is unevenly spread, with Nuno Mendes flanked by two Bayern attackers either side. Upamecano darts inside while Kane blocks off Pacho, allowing the centre-back to glance the ball past the rooted Matvey Safonov.

At least Safonov learns his lesson. Kimmich delivers a very similar set-piece from the same position just moments later but the PSG keeper takes up a higher start position and punches to safety while Bayern players get another free run at him.

PSG 5-4 Bayern (Luis Diaz)

If we’re going to be churlish – it’s what we do best – we would ask why Kane is allowed to get his head up and pick out Diaz’s burst. But it is a sublime pass and the most exquisitely timed run. So perfect is it, it prompts a belated assistant’s flag. Once in behind, though, Diaz’s first touch should be down the road and in the Louvre.

Marquinhos actually does well to recover goal side but once there, he’s never comfortable. The centre-back plants his feet to block a shot that never comes, allowing Diaz to shift and shoot around him. A brilliant goal.