PSG beat Bayern in nine goal Champions League epic

PSG 5-4 Bayern Munich: Champion League holders beat Bayern Munich in nine goal thriller in first leg semi- final

 Match report as PSG beat Bayern Munich in Champions League epic to win semi-final first leg 5-4 in Paris; Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both score twice in first European semi-final to see both teams score four or more goals; pair meet next Wednesday in Germany for second leg

 A nine-goal Champions League classic saw holders PSG sensationally beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in the first leg of their semi-final in Paris.

The goal-fest, which saw Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer fail to make a save, was the first time in a European semi-final match that both teams scored four or more goals.

It was also the joint-highest scoring semi-final match in European Cup history after Rangers' 6-3 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960.

A remarkable five-goal first half at the Parc des Princes saw PSG lead 3-2 at half-time through Ousmane Dembele's stoppage-time penalty.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Dembele then both scored in the space of 143 seconds to put PSG 5-2 up in the 58th minute.

But Bayern hit back with two goals in three minutes through Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz to make it 5-4 in the 68th minute and give them hope for next Wednesday's return leg in Germany.

If five goals are scored at the Allianz Arena in the second leg, then this will become the highest-scoring Champions League knockout tie in history - and man-of-the-match Dembele is predicting another goal-laden game in Munich.

"It was a match between two great teams who attack, who don't hesitate.

"We're happy with the result, even though at 5-2 we stopped playing a bit towards the end.

"We're not going to change our philosophy. We're going to attack, and they're going to attack too. So I think it's going to be a great second match."

Image: Ousmane Dembele scored his second and PSG’s fifth goal

How the epic unfolded

A topsy-turvy clash began with Harry Kane scoring a 17th-minute penalty opener for his 59th goal for club and country this season.

Kvaratskhelia, who scored twice in the win, quickly grabbed a superb leveller before Joao Neves headed PSG into the lead in the 33rd minute.

Image: PSG's Joao Neves scored to make it 2-1

Michael Olise smashed in a 41st-minute equaliser only for Dembele to score a controversial penalty in the fifth minute of added time for an Alphonso Davies handball, which was given after a VAR review at the pitchside monitor despite Dembele's cross striking Davies' leg before making contact with his arm.

Luis Enrique's side then looked to be in complete control early in the second half as Kvaratskhelia swept home before Dembele scored a lovely goal in off the post to give PSG a three-goal lead.

Image: PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) scored twice in the win

But Upamecano's 65th-minute header set up a Bayern fightback as three minutes later Diaz wonderfully brought down Kane's lobbed pass to fire past PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.

The ex-Liverpool forward's goal was initially ruled out for offside before a VAR check overturned the decision to give the German champions hope of reaching a first Champions League final in six years.

Kane praises 'amazing defending' - but Rooney disgarees

Image: Harry Kane celebrates scoring against PSG in the Champions League semi-final first leg

Kane labelled the defending in the nine-goal thriller as "amazing" - but Wayne Rooney disagreed.

Kane told Amazon Prime: "Even though there was nine goals scored, there was some amazing defending out there.

"You've got the best players in the world. The best attackers, the best defenders. Of course, sometimes the attackers are going to come out on top and show their quality.

"When you go back and look at the centre-halves playing in midfield, in attack sometimes, out wide against the wingers, credit to them. It's a really hard job. I thought they were outstanding."

But Rooney had a different view.

He told Amazon Prime: "I love Harry Kane. Everyone can see that on the words I say about him. But, there's no way he can be praising his defenders.

"Maybe because they are his team-mates. He's trying to give them a bit of confidence for next week. The defending from both teams was really bad. If he's being honest.

"Both teams have so much quality at the top end of the pitch that they probably forgot to defend. That means we get to enjoy some great goals."

He added: "It was a crazy and chaotic game. Both teams have got so much quality at the top end of the pitch that they probably forget to defend a little bit.

"Luis Enrique is a top coach so when they get the advantage of 5-2, I think he should have said 'let's shut up shop and get behind the ball'.

"But they went for more goals and Vincent Kompany has got a very attack-minded (Bayern) team.

"We saw some immature defending, which is crazy."

Carra: Almost impossible to stop the goals

Image: Michael Olise celebrates bringing Bayern Munich level at 2-2

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher speaking on CBS Sports:

"Normally when I see a game like that I'll say 'the defending is not good enough' or 'it is not up to the standard of this level of football'.

"But what I would say is: Every attacking player on the pitch was an eight or nine out of 10. Every attacking player got the better of their counterpart.

"When I remember the goals, it wasn't like there was a goalkeeper howler or something stupid defensively, it felt like the goals were just great goals.

"It wasn't like defenders made a fool of themselves. The attacking play was that high it was almost impossible to stop the goals."

Henry: Risks were rewarded

Image: PSG will take a one-goal advantage to Munich next Wednesday

Thierry Henry speaking on CBS Sports:

"We've been talking a lot about teams who don't take enough risks. We talk about teams not losing the game rather than winning it.

"Tonight we had plenty of risk. If we have our defensive hats on you might go crazy with what you saw tonight.

"But I don't care.

"People have been complaining football is boring. That game was not boring. It was just crazy at times."

The best stats and facts from an all-time classic

• PSG boss Luis Enrique has recorded his 50th Champions League victory. In his 77th game, he's the fastest to reach this milestone in the competition's history.
• In PSG (43) and Bayern Munich (42), this is the first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign to see two teams score 40+ goals.
• PSG scored with all five of their shots on target against Bayern Munich. It's the first time on record (since 2003-04) a team has had 5+ shots on target and scored them all in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage match.
• Ousmane Dembele (11 goals, 7 assists) has been involved in more goals in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages than any other PSG player.
• Since joining PSG last year, only Harry Kane (21) has been involved in more Champions League goals than Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (20 - 13 goals, 7 assists).
• Harry Kane's opener for Bayern Munich saw him become the first English player score in six consecutive Champions League matches.

What's coming up for PSG and Bayern Munich?

Before next Wednesday's return leg in Bavaria, PSG face Lorient in Ligue 1 on Saturday afternoon.

Already crowned champions of Germany, Bayern Munich face the Bundesliga's bottom side, Heidenheim, on Saturday.