Kingsley Coman downed PSG, as he did three years ago in the final
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Kingsley Coman once again struck against his former side as Bayern Munich earned a 1-0 win over PSG at the Parc des Princes.
It was the Frenchman, who came through the PSG academy, producing the only goal three years ago when these two sides met in the Champions League final, and that proved to be the case in the first leg of this last-16 tie.
PSG produced a dreadful performance on the whole, sloppy at the back and without any sort of threat in attack until the closing stages. The Bayern goal was coming from the first whistle and, although they had to wait until after the break, it came through a back-post volley from Coman.
Kylian Mbappe had the ball in the back of the net twice after coming on, as PSG finally woke up, but he was denied on each occasion by the offside flag. Bayern held on to ensure they take an advantage to Munich for the reverse fixture, even with Benjamin Pavard seeing red late on for a second yellow card.
The hosts had Lionel Messi back from injury and in the starting lineup, though Mbappe was fit enough only for the bench as a result of a hamstring problem.
Not until first-half stoppage-time did PSG have their first shot of the match, Messi tamely clipping a free-kick into the wall. By that point Bayern had managed 10, with Eric Choupo-Moting heading wide and Joshua Kimmich seeing his effort from distance saved.
The deserved lead came just under ten minutes into the second-half, as Alphonso Davies whipped a cross in and the unmarked Coman cushioned a volley under Gianluigi Donnarumma for a richly deserved goal.
That was not particularly impressive goalkeeping from the Italian, but he redeemed himself with a stunning save to tip Choupo-Moting’s effort onto the woodwork before denying Pavard seconds later.
A clearly not fully-fit Mbappe was brought off the bench and tapped home after Neymar’s rebound fell to him, though the offside flag was swiftly raised.
It stayed down with ten minutes remaining when he blasted in from close range after brilliant work Nuno Mendes, but no sooner had Mbappe charged back to the middle with the ball, VAR intervened to rule it out for offside in the build-up.
There was to be no PSG equaliser, though the final 15 minutes will give them hope of a much more competitive clash when the sides meet again in Germany on March 8.
Pavard will play no part in that, after he slid in and brought Messi down in stoppage-time, earning himself a second yellow card and a suspension for the second leg.
