Paris Saint-Germain may have won on paper, but the game of football was the real winner Tuesday when the defending champions and German giants Bayern Munich played out a 9-goal Champions League epic.
The Parisians clinched a 5-4 victory in the pulsating semifinal that had a record number of goals at this stage of the competition. They came from a goal down to lead 5-2 with two goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele before Bayern struck twice in three minutes just before the hour to improve their chances for next week's return leg in Munich.
The match pitted the most attacking Champions League teams of the season against each other and it quickly lived up to its billing with a relentless pace and with Bayern coach Vincent Kompany in the stands, serving out a suspension and his assistant Aaron Danks in the dugout.
"We’re really happy, and I think we deserved to win, but we also deserved a draw, and we would have even deserved to lose, because this game was that incredible," said PSG coach Luis Enrique.
"I’ve never seen a game with that rhythm before. You have to congratulate the opponents, the players. When you hold a 5-2 lead like that, the opponents take so many risks – they’re a top-level side. It was difficult, and the second leg will be too."
Harry Kane converted a 17th-minute penalty to beat PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov and become the first English player to net in six successive Champions League fixtures. The England captain then delivered a well-timed pass for Michael Olise, but his close-range shot was cleared off the line.
The hosts should have levelled when Dembele broke through, but his finish flew well wide in the 23rd, but Kvaratskhelia did find the net with a trademark move and a low shot after cutting into the box.
Bayern hit the post following a solo run by Olise and his deflected pass, but it was PSG who scored again in the 33rd with Joao Neves' glancing header.
There was plenty of drama left in the first half with Olise making amends for his earlier miss and drawing Bayern level with a 41st-minute shot after being given far too much space around the box.
PSG were then awarded a stoppage-time penalty and Dembele powered his spot kick past Manuel Neuer to put them back in front.
PSG picked up where they left off after halftime and carved out a two-goal lead when Kvaratskhelia drilled in a 56th-minute effort and the French side struck again before Bayern had any time to recover, this time Dembele beating Neuer once more with a low drive that went in off the post two minutes later.
The hosts looked to be running away with the game, but Bayern refused to buckle and fought back with two goals of their own in a three-minute span from Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz.
PSG's Senny Mayulu rattled the woodwork in the 86th minute as both sides kept up the frenetic pace until the final whistle.
"Although we lost the game, we showed what kind of team we are and that we can deal with setbacks," said Bayern defender Jonathan Tah.
"We know we can win by two goals at home. We're confident and we'll give everything next week to reach the final."
