What a Champions League this has been. There was no way that any tie could match the blood and thunder of that Real-Bayern quarterfinal clash.
PSG and Bayern deliver tie for the ages
What a Champions League this has been. There was no way that any tie could match the blood and thunder of that Real-Bayern quarterfinal clash. That would be impossible. But the footballing gods saw fit to shine on us once again, dishing up another psychotic goal-blitz that left fans exhilarated and managers shellshocked. The game resembled Rocky Balboa’s first fight against Apollo Creed, with both sides throwing constant haymakers with no regard for defence. Bayern broke the deadlock at the Parc des Princes, with Kane converting from the spot after Diaz was adjudged to have been brought down by Pacho. That goal came in the 17th minute. The 9th and final goal would be scored in the 68th, meaning there was approximately a goal every 5 minutes for the middle hour of the match. Insanity. Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia levelled matters with a textbook bit of wing play before Joao Neves fired the Parisians ahead with a bullet header. French sensation Michael Olise was always going to have an impact at some point, tiptoeing through the PSG defence before making it 2-2. PSG then evened out the penalty count, with Alphones Davies adjudged to have handled Olise’s cross in the box. Ballon d’or winner Ousmane Dembelle made no mistake, ensuring PSG led 3-2 at the halftime break.
The home side looked to turn the screw after the break, with the attacking trio of Dembelle, Kvaratskhelia and Doue stretching the Bayern side to its limits. The Georgian winger established the first two-goal cushion of the evening, sweeping the ball home after some devastating play by Hakimi down the right. Dembelle then gave PSG real breathing space with an impudent near-post finish to make it 5-2. But as Mainz found out on Saturday; you can never count this Bayern team out. Dayot Upamecano was an unlikely goal scorer, glancing the ball home from a beautifully teased Kimmich set-piece delivery. Luiz Diaz then produced a moment of absolute magic, killing a route one ball with the outside of his boot before jinking and placing the ball into the top corner (it had shades of Suarez against Newcastle back in 2012). The most incredible thing about this basketball match was that nobody managed to find the net for the final 25 mins of the match. Despite PSG’s 5-4 advantage, you get a sense that Kompany will be the happier of the two managers. Coming back from 5-2 down typifies their never-say-die attitude.
Atletico and Arsenal exchange penalties in tight 1-1 draw
If Tuesday’s match resembled something out of Rocky, last night’s clash felt like something out the Queen’s Gambit. To be fair, it wasn’t quite the snoozefest that everyone anticipated; it just felt quaint compared to Tuesday’s fireworks. Mikel Arteta’s side looked cagey in the early stages of the match, struggling against a 4-4-2 formation that is virtually extinct in Premier League football. But Arsenal soon started to exert some authority on the match, with Rice popping up everywhere in a breathless first-half performance. The much-maligned Noni Madueke even looked threatening (though he still needs to add some polish in that final 3rd). But a well-drilled Gunners side eventually did make a breakthrough, with Gyokeres smashing it home from the spot after being awkwardly brought down by David Hancko (watch this space). Arsenal couldn’t have asked for a better half of football, silencing the Metropolitano Stadium with a composed away showing.
Atletico looked an entirely different outfit after the break, clearly responding to Simeone’s call to arms. Atleti noticeably pressed higher up the field, forcing the Arsenal possession-machine into uncharacteristic errors. An unconvincing Ben White conceded a penalty just ten minutes into the half, adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box. In-form Julian Alvarez duly converted- Arteta must feel like Pep and City are haunting him at this point. Atletico then turned on the pressure with a flurry of chances, with Griezmann hitting the woodwork and Lookman forcing a brilliant reaction save from Raya. Everything seemed to point towards an Atleti comeback victory. But Hancko once again found himself embroiled in penalty drama just ten minutes from time, penalized for bringing down Arsenal sub Ebrahim Eze in the box. It looked extremely soft, but not so soft that VAR would interject and overrule the on-field decision. I was wrong, as Danny Makkelie reversed the on-filed decision after spending an age at the monitor. The result was probably karmic revenge for all the penalty-box shenanigans that Gabriel and co have got away with this season. In any event, the penalty saga took the remaining sting out of the game, as both sides seemed content to settle matters in the return leg.
Player of the Week- Luiz Diaz
The unsung hero of Bayern’s attack this season, Colombian winger Luiz Diaz just oozed class in that high-octane clash with PSG. He was a constant out-ball for the Bavarian giants, pestering Hakimi with his trickery and close control. He was instrumental in Bayern’s cause, leaving the tie teetering on a knife-edge with that sublime finish. I will never understand why Liverpool refused to meet Diaz’s wage demands (the Colombian was reportedly one of the lowest-paid regular players when he opted to leave). The whole mess was Moneyball at its most shortsighted.
