PSG vs. Bayern Munich Player Ratings: Titleholders Push Ahead in Record-Breaking First Leg

Nine goals were scored during the first leg of a breathtaking Champions League semifinal.

PSG’s attacking superstars came to the fore in Tuesday’s first leg. | ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

Titleholders Paris Saint-Germain will have a slender lead to protect in Germany next week after they edged a remarkable game of soccer 5–4 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

Bayern Munich most certainly played their part on an extraordinary night in the French capital, as we were subject to the most goals in a single semifinal leg in the competition’s history.

A dizzying back-and-forth first half, which started rather tamely, was matched by the second 45 minutes, as PSG threatened to run away with the contest before the hour mark.

The hosts completely overwhelmed their somewhat naive visitors on the counterattack, racing into a 5–2 lead, but Bayern’s subsequent fightback, thanks to goals from Dayot Upamecano and Luis Díaz, means it’s all to play for in Munich next week.

And we can only expect more of the same.

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One Thing We Can’t Ignore

You couldn’t take your eyes of the first leg. | Anne-Christine POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images

Dynasties are hard to establish in modern soccer. Sure, four of Europe’s five premier divisions have been monopolized by one, maybe two, dominant clubs over the past decade, but only one team has gone back-to-back in the Champions League since its rebranding in 1992. Real Madrid won three straight between 2016 and 2018.

PSG are attempting to retain their crown this season, and no matter how the remainder of their continental campaign plays out, Luis Enrique’s side won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. The same goes for Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, who aren’t quite as far along in their journey as Enrique’s Parisians, but were equally sparkling in the French capital on Tuesday night.

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City had its time in the sun. This fixture has to emerge as Europe’s next ’Superclásico’.

Their first Champions League knockout stage meeting since 2021 most certainly didn’t disappoint. We all suspected this tie would be a little bit special, but rarely do such encounters with the loftiest hopes deliver on all fronts. The nine goals felt like untimely delays to the utterly captivating action.

Not even a nonsense VAR intervention on the stroke of half-time could sap the childlike joy the first leg contest provoked. This match allowed the romantic within us to flourish, and served as a reminder of why so many utilize this sport as an "escape". For a couple of hours on a Tuesday evening, we smiled.

It’s what can happen when the stockpiling of artists is prioritized, and managers put their egos aside by allowing said artists to operate with limited constraints.

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PSG Player Ratings vs. Bayern Munich (4-3-3)

The Ballon d’Or winner atoned for a bad early miss. | Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Matvey Safonov—5.6: Dealt pretty well with Bayern’s crosses, and was also undone by a collection of excellent finishes, even if he got a hand to Michael Olise’s fierce strike.

RB: Achraf Hakimi—6.8: Helped PSG overwhelm their opponents at the start of the second half, but Hakimi didn’t offer much by way of defensive support.

CB: Marquinhos (C)—6.5: Didn’t allow his early booking to completely compromise him, even if the veteran defender often looked overwhelmed by Bayern’s fluidity.

CB: Willian Pacho—5.7: Gave away a penalty and struggled to get to grips with Harry Kane’s positioning throughout.

LB: Nuno Mendes—6.5: We saw Mendes lock up the likes of Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka and Lamine Yamal in 2025, but Michael Olise had much more joy than the aforementioned in Paris.

CM: Vitinha—7.8: This game wasn’t about PSG’s midfield brilliance, with Vitinha merely playing a secondary role on Tuesday night.

CM: Warren Zaïre-Emery—7.1: Scrapped around for an hour, and played a lovely ball through to Dembélé in the first half, which the Ballon d’Or holder failed to make the most of.

CM: João Neves—8.2: Scored again in this fixture, rising highest to flick home Dembélé’s corner. Neves was caught napping in possession later in the game.

RW: Désiré Doué—8.4: This was a relatively quiet night for the young winger, but Doué was still able to produce a couple of moments worthy of applause, including his deft ball over the top in the lead-up to Kvaratskhelia’s first-half equalizer.

ST: Ousmané Dembélé—9.2: Atoned for a woeful early miss by scoring twice. Dembélé’s second strike showcased the Ballon d’Or winner at his efficient best.

LW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia—8.9: Nerves jangled when the Georgian felt his hamstring towards the end of the first half because he was lighting up the first leg. Fortunately, he was fine to continue, scoring a second after the restart.

SUB: Fabián Ruiz (64’ for Zaïre-Emery)—6.2: Limited to a cameo after recently recovering from a complex knee injury, Fabián might be starting in Munich next week.

SUB: Bradley Barcola (70’ for Doué)—5.8: Didn’t get the chance to spread his wings during the final 20 minutes.

SUB: Lucas Hernández (84’ for Mendes)—N/A

SUB: Senny Mayulu (84’ for Kvaratskhelia)—N/A

Subs not used: Lucas Chevalier (GK), Renato Marin (GK), Lucas Beraldo, Illia Zabarnyi, Dro Fernández, Ibrahim Mbaye, Gonçalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in.

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Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs. PSG (4-2-3-1)

Olise left his mark. | ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Manuel Neuer—4.0: What was Neuer thinking between the posts, as a constant stream of Parisians descended upon his goal, which he must’ve felt so small in the middle of? The German’s seen so much, but he’s never been involved in anything quite like this.

RB: Josip Stanišić—5.7: The player you’ll certainly forget when trying to remember this Bayern team in five years.

CB: Dayot Upamecano—6.8: Left in hopeless defensive situations throughout, doing as well as he could to stymie PSG’s irresistible advances.

CB: Jonathan Tah—5.5: Tah flung himself around and was a nuisance in the PSG box from set-pieces. Like his partner, he couldn’t have done all that much to deny the hosts.

LB: Alphonso Davies—6.0: Harshly penalized for handball just before the interval, and was withdrawn during the break—likely as a result of recent fitness issues.

DM: Joshua Kimmich (C)—6.2: Powerless to stop PSG running riot in transition in the second half, but Bayern‘s captain produced the necessary moments of quality in possession to help Bayern fight back.

DM: Aleksandar Pavlović—6.6: All at sea at the start of the second half, but steadied himself during the final third of the match.

RW: Michael Olise—8.0: Took his goal really well, and enjoyed his duel with Mendes. Olise was perhaps guilty of making the wrong decision in the final third a few times, though.

AM: Jamal Musiala—6.7: This was a frenetic encounter played at a ferocious pace, and Musiala always looked like he was playing catch-up.

LW: Luis Díaz—8.6: He’s been a reliable goalscorer for Die Roten this season, and he came up trumps again. Díaz was a thorn in the Parisians’ defence throughout, not only on the breakaway.

ST: Harry Kane—8.7: Put runners around him and let Kane purr. The Englishman’s 54th goal of an incredible season came from the spot, and his pass for Luis Díaz’s goal was just sublime.

SUB: Konrad Laimer (46’ for Davies)—7.3: Constant source of energy, and was a threat on the underlap.

SUB: Leon Goretzka (78’ for Musiala)—5.9: Didn’t see all that much of him, but Bayern’s midfield was secure while he was on the field.

SUB: Nicolas Jackson (90’ for Pavlović)—N/A

Subs not used: Sven Ulreich (GK), Jonas Urbig (GK), Kim Min-jae, Hiroki Ito, Deniz Ofli, Filip Pavić.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Kvaratskhelia was just one of the array of attacking superstars who shone. | ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images)

• Just in case the heroics in Naples or antics during last season’s run to glory weren’t enough, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is continuing to prove why he’s one of soccer’s most scintillating attacking players. How well did he take both of his goals?
• Willian Pacho started the knockout stages with an error-strewn performance against Monaco, and he was perhaps fortunate to get away with a foul on Alexis Mac Allister in the second leg of their quarterfinal win over Liverpool. Pacho wasn’t quite so lucky this time around, as the canny Luis Díaz ensured Pacho’s desperate challenge resulted in a penalty. This was a tough night for all the defenders involved, and Pacho has generally been brilliant for PSG, but he’s been guilty of a few brain fades in this competition.
• Serge Gnabry’s absence clearly didn’t hinder Bayern Munich all that much, but his replacement, Jamal Musiala, was the most disappointing attacker on the pitch at the Parc des Princes. He’s still feeling his way back into top form after recovering from a long-term injury.

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The Numbers That Explain A Breathtaking Night in Paris

Bayern are still in the tie. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

• PSG’s efficiency in front of goal won them this game. They created less xG than their opponents, scoring five times from a haul of just 1.91.
• Bayern Munich also outperformed their xG tally of 2.51, but they were guilty of missing six big chances in the first leg.
• The technical quality of both teams shone through in Paris, as PSG and Bayern ended the night completing 85% and 84% of their passes, respectively. Pressing was unable to subdue.
• PSG ended the game with just 43% of the ball, showing how happy they were to hit Bayern in transition. Their share of possession dropped to 36% in the second half, when they were particularly destructive on the counter.

Statistic	PSG	Bayern Munich
Possession	43%	57%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.91	2.51
Total Shots	12	10
Shots on Target	5	8
Big Chances	2	6
Passing Accuracy	85%	84%
Fouls Committed	14	4
Corners	2	5

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