CNN
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It could be the start of a new knockout phase in championshipbut it seems to be the same story for Paris Saint-Germain.
The French side have failed to make it past the round of 16 in the past six seasons and could face a similar fate this year after a 1-0 first leg defeat to Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes.
Kingsley Coman, who also thrashed PSG 1-0 in the Champions League final two and a half years ago, scored the only goal in Tuesday’s game in the French capital, putting Bayern in control of the game ahead of the game. return in the group stage. Munich on March 8.
The German champions controlled the ball for most of the game and saw that dominance pay off early in the second half when Coman, unmarked in the PSG box, volleyed his cross. Alphonso Davies at the feet of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG responded by bringing on star striker Kylian Mbappé, who had sustained a thigh injury before the game.
Pushing the equalizer, Mbappé, this season’s Champions League top scorer, used his pace to break through the Bayern defense but was saved by goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
He then put the ball in the net a few minutes later, only to have the video assistant referee suggest that Nuno Mendes was offside during the match-fixing situation.
By this time, PSG has begun to come to life and Mendes is demonstrating a vibrant presence on the left wing. With six minutes left, the Portugal international evaded Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich and found Lionel Messi free in the box, but Benjamin Pavard’s brilliant save denied the equalizer.
When opportunities continued to come to PSG, Pavard had to receive a second yellow card after a late challenge on Messi. Although it did not affect the score, it does mean the defender will miss the second leg in Munich in three weeks.
Mbappé told reporters after the game: “We said we had to embrace the positives, it was a two-legged game. “We cannot change what happened in the first leg. We will go there to qualify. We know that there is a possibility. There is always a good possibility to qualify.”
While the loss brought back memories of PSG’s past defeats in the Champions League, fans also got a glimpse of the future with Warren Zaïre-Emery becoming the youngest player to start a game. knockout in the tournament at the age of 16 years and 343 days.
Midfielder was born in 2006, more than a year after 35-year-old Messi made his Champions League debut.
After defeats to Marseille and Monaco, PSG have now lost three games in a row for the first time since 2020 and face Lille at the tournament on Sunday in a bid to get the season back on track.
Meanwhile, Bayern have won all seven of their Champions League games this season and will feel confident about reaching the quarter-finals before the second leg.
“Overall, we did very well,” said coach Julian Nagelsmann. “We’ve taken the first step and want to continue with the second.”
In another Champions League fixture on Tuesday, AC Milan beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at the San Siro thanks to an early goal from Brahim Díaz, giving the Italian side the edge in their bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. since 2011.
