Bayern Munich settled things against PSG.
Bayern Munich knew it wasn’t going to be easy against Paris Saint-Germain – and it wasn’t for most of the evening. The first half was a bit choppy at times and Julian Nagelsmann was not happy with what he had seen, but by the second half the Bavarians took control of the game and marched away with a 2-0 win. Here are some fast hitters in the game:
- Let’s start with some thoughts on the lineup, though things came in as expected:
- There were no surprises in Julian Nagelsmann’s line-up. Incredibly, there were no red herrings or misdirections in the pregame discussions. It feels weird to see a Bayern Munich line-up without Leroy Sane, Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry, but I think Nagelsmann went with what worked leading up to the game… and it worked like a charm.
- Bayern Munich’s back three of Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano and Josip Stanišić were very, very good against a very powerful strike from PSG. De Ligt’s goal-line play was masterful. The Dutchman has developed into the exact type of backline leader everyone wanted when he arrived. What an absolute winner.
- I’m not going to lie, I was glad I didn’t have to pay for this Stanišić shot for our year-end bust. The versatile Croat shook off the early jitters and put in a masterful effort.
- Defensively, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich also held their ground. For as many gags as Goretzka, he has a knack for raising his game level when needed – and he did just that against PSG. The duo in midfield has been great overall.
- Bayern Munich’s attack went hand-in-hand for part of the night, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected against PSG. In the end they did what they had to do.
- After an offside call ruled out a seemingly early header for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (cancelled by an offside foul by Müller), the Bavarians fired back just minutes later in the second half. Marco Verratti found himself in a difficult position when he was put under pressure by both Thomas Muller and Leon Goretzka. Eventually, Müller got to the ball, passed it to Goretzka, who set up Choupo-Moting perfectly. ECMC was in the right place at the right time – which is a great quality for a striker. Once the ball reached Choupo-Moting’s foot, there was no doubt he would score.
- A few minutes after the goal, Yann Sommer made an excellent save on Sergio Ramos’ header. Sommer widely proved his mettle after a few shaky moments early on.
- In a weird way, Kingsley Coman was Bayern Munich’s least effective attacker, but I didn’t come away feeling he had put in a poor performance.
- All in all, Bayern Munich did exactly what was needed on the day: score a few goals, limit the damage and hold on for life. It didn’t have to be pretty or even resemble the “pretty game” – it just had to be ruthlessly efficient in terms of avoiding big mistakes. Bayern Munich’s strong second half was an indication of just how good – and deep – this team is.
If you missed Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations or Postgame Podcast, watch or listen:
If Benjamin Pavard wants a future at Bayern Munich, it seems the club is willing to offer it. However, it is unclear whether Pavard wants to extend his contract with the club.
If the Frenchman chooses against it, he will be sold this summer:
Bayern are currently waiting to see whether Benjamin Pavard shows a willingness to extend his contract beyond 2024. If not, the club would sell him in the summer to generate revenue.
I’ve been one of the (few) people over the years to support Pavard here and I think he’s done a really good job this season. I would like him to stay, but I understand why he would want to settle elsewhere.
Borussia Dortmund is having a hard time keeping clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool FC on the trail of midfielder Jude Bellingham:
Bellingham was naturally furious at his side’s decisions during his side’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea FC on Tuesday. Bellingham let loose on BT Sport regarding a questionable handball penalty handed to Mariusz Wolf – and subsequently awarded a penalty rematch to Kai Havertz.
“I’m not sure what else he can do with his hand. That in itself was disappointing and the fact that they had a rematch is a joke to me. Before any penalty, especially when you have such a slow run-up, there will be people pushing a meter or so into the penalty area. He made the decision and we have to live with it. I don’t want to get in trouble. I paid them enough,” Bellingham ranted.
Anyway, Foot Mercato also reported that Bellingham’s father met with Real Madrid representatives while he was in London:
According to our information, Real Madrid manager Juni Calafat has reunited with the father of the England midfielder from Dortmund. Where will Jude Bellingham play next season? One thing seems certain, not at Borussia Dortmund.
Eintracht Frankfurt wants to extend manager Oliver Glasner’s contract:
Glasner did a great job with The Eagles and deserves a longer contract.
Newcastle United could enter the bidding war for Chelsea FC star Mason Mount. With Liverpool FC already on the hunt for Mount, the big spending Magpies might want to start throwing some big bucks around:
Another midfielder on Liverpool’s radar is Mason Mount, but they now have competition from Newcastle for his signature.
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