PLAYER RATINGS | Bayern Munich 1-0 PSG: Ten-man visitors' European misery continues
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UEFA Champions League, Round 5, 26/11 2024
Paris Saint-Germain travelled to the Allianz Arena in a must-win game with their Champions League campaign in a precarious situation. Les Parisiens have not won since the first match of the league phase and sit outside the playoff spots. However, Bayern Munich would continue PSG's European misery.
The Match
The focus at the start of the game would be on the man in between PSG's goalposts. Gianluigi Donnarumma had started during the weekend's victory over Toulouse FC, but the Italian would be dropped in the Champions League, his past mistakes in the premier competition perhaps coming to haunt him.
Instead, Matvei Safonov would be given the nod. The Russian international had joined over the summer as competition to Donnarumma and had made it clear that he had no intention of playing second fiddle to the more glamorous name. The decision from Luis Enrique looked to be rewarded in the early exchanges as he kept Bayern from opening the scoring.
However, goalkeeping errors on a European night would be a familiar story for Les Parisiens. Safonov was the first to respond to a routine corner. The goalkeeper looked to punch the ball away. However, he fumbled the moment, the ball bounced off his fists and onto the ground and found Kim Min-jae unmarked. The centre-back headed home to open the scoring in the 38th minute.
The second half would need a response from the visitors with their Champions League campaign in a worrying position coming into this game. That response would not come as Dembélé was sent off after he picked up his second yellow for a late tackle on Alphonso Davies. The false-nine had already been booked for dissent earlier in the game, and the red card felt harsh.
Vincent Kompany looked to capitalise on the man advantage as he brought on Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry, while Luis Enrique kept the faith alive by bringing Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos on. However, the second goal would not come and Bayern began to sit back in the final ten minutes allowing PSG to grow back into the game. Still, it was not enough for Les Parisiens and the one goal would be the decider.
PSG Player Ratings
Matvei Safonov – 4
The goalkeeper made a number of saves throughout the game. However, an unforced error will be the moment that will be remembered. This was his chance to make his mark on the team and usurp Donnarumma.
Nuno Mendes – 6
Willian Pacho – 5
Marquinhos – 5
Achraf Hakimi – 4
Fabian Ruiz – 5
Vitinha – 5
João Neves – 5
Bradley Barcola – 4
Ousmane Dembélé – 3
The striker struggled as a false-nine in Luis Enrique’s strikerless system. He had a number of chances but they were snatched at. He looked uncomfortable being tasked with being the main goalscoring threat and the return of Gonçalo Ramos cannot come fast enough for PSG. The red-card was harsh but a yellow-card for dissent is an avoidable mistake.
Warren Zaïre-Emery – 4
A quiet game for the midfielder. He was fielded nominally as a right-winger although he had a license to drift around the pitch. There was some logic to why Luis Enrique decided to go with this concept, but it didn’t quite work. The teenager had a great chance in the first half to open the scoring but apart from that he had very little impact on the match.
Selected Bayern Munich Player Ratings
Manuel Neuer – 6
Kingsley Coman – 8
The former PSG man had the better of Hakimi throughout the night. The problem for Hakimi was that the winger was simply faster and a defensive system that caused the fullbacks to push high up the pitch left this difference exposed.
Harry Kane – 6
