Paris Saint-Germain picked up a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last night and here are three talking points from the thrilling encounter.
Kylian Mbappe’s ability to deliver in the big games
Kylian Mbappe put on a splendid display for the French outfit last night.
The Frenchman opened the scoring for his side and then scored the winning goal of the game in the second half.
Bayern Munich struggled to deal with his pace and directness throughout the game and he harassed the opposition defenders with his flair and movement.
The Frenchman’s ability to pick up the ball and drive at the defence caused a lot of problems for the away side and his second goal of the game showed how he can win games all on his own.
Mbappe managed to deliver at the biggest stage in the World Cup with his country and he continues to prove that he is the man for big occasions.
Neymar’s contribution
The Brazilian international did not manage to get on the score sheet last night but his display was equally important for Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar created two big chances for his side and he worked hard defensively as well. He was handed a creative role in the middle of the pitch by Mauricio Pochettino and the German side failed to mark him out of the game because of his intelligence, flair and agility.
The Brazilian is not known for his defensive contribution but his desire to work hard last night will certainly impress the fans. Neymar won 7 duels and came up with 2 important tackles as well.
The Brazilian showed that he can be a game-changer even when he is not scoring goals for his side.
Robert Lewandowski’s absence
Both sides were quite open defensively last night and Bayern will be wondering what could have been if Robert Lewandowski was fit for the game.
The Polish international missed the game through injury and the Germans could have easily secured a more positive result with him on the pitch.
The Bavarians missed his clinical presence and all-round contribution upfront and it will be interesting to see if Lewandowski can return for the second leg and turn the tie around for the Germans.
Two other prominent goal-scorers from Bayern Leon Goretzka and Segei Gnabry were also not available due to injury and COVID.
