Bayern Munich travelled to France for their first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain, and, despite the simple 1-0 score, it was an exciting encounter with plenty of end-to-end action. It was a match that had everything, from missed chances to goalmouth scrambles, and even a sending-off.
With 18 shots from Bayern, it is easy to say that they were dominant and deserved the win, but the hero of the night was undoubtedly Kingsley Coman. The French winger was instrumental in Bayern’s win, scoring the only goal of the game and putting in an impressive performance that helped the Bavarians take a crucial lead into the second leg.
The forward netted the winning goal in his 50th Champions League appearance, becoming the player with the most wins in their first 50 appearances in the competition’s history, with an incredible 39 victories.
Kingsley Coman’s story is a fascinating one. Born in Paris, he began his football career at the tender age of six, joining the local club US Senart-Moissy. He went on to play for Juventus and eventually Bayern Munich, where he became a crucial player in the team’s success.
Even though he left the French capital at a young age, Coman has always remained a Parisian at heart. And that was clear to see during last night’s game when he scored the winning goal against his former club.
From the eyes of the Munich citizens, it was a moment of triumph for Coman, who was hailed as the cornerstone of Bayern’s victory. But it was a bittersweet moment for the player, who found himself in the unenviable position of scoring against what is essentially his hometown.
Coman’s reluctance to celebrate his goal was evident for all to see, as he raised his arms in a half-hearted gesture of triumph before quickly lowering them again. It was clear that the Parisian had mixed feelings about what he had just done.
For PSG, the fact that they were undone by one of their own was a bitter pill to swallow. The club has long prided itself on developing talented young players, but in Coman’s case, they were unable to hold onto him. And now, he had scored against them in one of the biggest matches of the season.
Coman’s performance in the match was exceptional, and he was clearly the standout player on the field. He scored the only goal of the game and created several other chances for his teammates. His pace and trickery were too much for PSG’s defence to handle, and he proved to be a constant thorn in their side throughout the match.
He was successful in 94% of the 36 passes made through the game, and created 3 chances for his side, with an xA of 0.46. He completed all five of his attempted dribbles and was only dispossessed once in the game.
He combined well with his teammates, providing a dangerous outlet on the right flank and sending numerous crosses into the box.
In the first half, his impressive display included a fantastic curling cross in the 30th minute, which was met by Choupo-Moting’s header, but it was deflected away by the head of Mendes. He later also found Goretzka in the box with an accurate cross, but Ramos was there to clear the danger.
This continued in the second half, as in the 62nd minute, Coman delivered an excellent cross to Chupo-Moting again, this time forcing a good save from Donarumma. His 70th-minute run saw him fouled by Kimpembe, which resulted in a yellow card for the PSG defender.
Coman’s performance was not just limited to his attacking contributions, though. He worked tirelessly throughout the game, tracking back, and helping his team defensively. He won nine of his twelve ground duels, made four recoveries, and completed a tackle. Coman’s work rate and defensive contribution were vital in ensuring that Bayern kept a clean sheet and left Paris with a victory.
His rating of 8.7 was higher than any other player on the pitch and it is easy to see why.
Looking ahead to the second leg, Coman’s performance will give Bayern plenty of confidence that they can progress to the semifinals. However, they will be wary of the threat posed by PSG, who have plenty of attacking talent of their own.
This was essentially visible after Mbappe was subbed on, as he changed the tide of the entire game and scored a goal that was just offside. However, if Coman can replicate his performance from the first leg, Bayern will be in a strong position to progress.
