We witnessed footballing madness, beauty, drama, and poetry all wrapped into one in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in Paris. It’s ludicrous to think that the 5-4 scoreline didn’t even do the attacking talent that was on display, as either side very well could’ve scored more than they did, and it’s even more ridiculous to note that none of the defenders on the pitch really had poor matches — the attacking players on the night were just
THAT GOOD! All of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué were sensational on the night and helped produce one of the most elite pair of attacking performances we’ve ever seen in the Champions League semifinals.
There’s quite often matches earlier than the final in the competition that fit the billing of being a final and Bayern seem to have found themselves involved in matches of that caliber quite often. Real Madrid in the quarters this season, PSG in the semis, Inter Milan in the quarters last season, Real Madrid in the 2023/24 semis, Arsenal in the 2023/24 quarters, and the list goes on.
Reactions from the 5-4 first leg semi between PSG and Bayern trickled in from every corner of the footballing world, justifiably, and a lot of managers across Europe offered their two cents on what they witnessed, whether it had been live, full match highlights, or even match replays. Not everyone joked about not being able to bear watching such a match like Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who was in attendance at Stockport County’s match against Port Vale in English League One.
A collection of reactions from managers across Europe (via @iMiaSanMia):
Cesc Fàbregas (Como): “I think I watched the best game of my life as a football fan. I enjoyed it, it showed where modern football is going. I learned a lot from this match. It was a pleasure for everyone.”
Pierre Sage (RC Lens): “We were completely on the edge of our seats, glued to our screens. I’m one of those people who prefers to see a 5-4 scoreline rather than a 1-0 one. When you see the level of these teams and the individual level of each player, you realize how high the bar is set.”
Habib Beye (Olympique Marseille): “This football inspires everyone. Everyone who saw this spectacle… There are no words.”
Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund): “It was a spectacle. So sensational to watch. I have to say I enjoyed it. Let’s not kid ourselves – the top tier at the moment is Bayern Munich and PSG. All other clubs in Europe are watching with a lot of interest to see what’s needed to get there.”
Franck Haise (Stade Rennes): “I thought to myself: what’s going on? Even though you could expect that crazy things can happen with the two best teams in the world, with exceptional players everywhere, there’s a difference between expecting something and actually having it happen.. I was sitting on my sofa and I fully enjoyed it.”
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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