Portugal starlet Neves scores as PSG beat Bayern 5-4 in Champions League classic [video] | OneFootball

Neves played his part in a CL classic [Getty Images]

Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich 

Tuesday evening saw one of the greatest matches in the history of European football, as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich produced a 9-goal thriller in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in France.

In a clash many ahead of kick-off deemed suitable for the final, the current holders will take a slender lead to the Allianz Arena in Bavaria next week after a pulsating encounter. Match reports across the world are eulogising over the football played in the French capital, with local paper L’Équipe leading with ‘Total football’ as their headline.

The goals were nicely distributed, with five coming in the first half– a record for a Champions League semi-final opening 45 minutes – followed by four more after the re-start. The momentum of play shifted several times, as Bayern took a 1-0 lead before trailing 2-1 and later trailing PSG 5-2 on the night, but a late fightback from the Germans leaves the tie delicately poised at the halfway stage.

Neves shines among game’s elite 

The match was lit up by many of the continent’s finest players getting on the scoresheet, including Harry Kane, former Porto star Luis Diaz and Michael Olise for Bayern, while Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia each bagged a brace for the Parisians.

In amongst the senior stars finding the net was Portugal’s 21-year-old sensation João Neves. The former Benfica midfielder the goal which put PSG 2-1 up on 33 minutes, finding space in the box to nod in Dembélé’s corner for his 7th goal of the campaign. The haul matches Neves’ tally from last term, meaning he is one goal away from setting a new season best goals return.

Fellow Seleção starts Vitinha and Nuno Mendes were also in Luis Enrique’s PSG side, with Vitinha unsurprisingly racking up the highest number of passes across his team in what was a frantic encounter.  Indeed, after the match, the Spanish boss told reporters: “I’ve never experienced a game with this intensity, with this desire to win. I think all the fans, regardless of who they support, were happy to see this kind of spectacle. Both teams and all the players deserve congratulation.”

Gonçalo Ramos was an unused substitute on the PSG bench, while an injury sustained last weekend kept Raphaël Guerreiro out of contention for Bayern. Experienced campaigner Guerreiro, who has confirmed he will leave Bayern on a free transfer this summer, is also expected to miss the return leg with a hamstring issue.