Mbappé stars as PSG beats Bayern 3-2 in Champions quarters
Kylian Mbappé scored twice to lead Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-2 win at defending champion Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Mbappé was a constant threat while Neymar had two assists as the French champion responded to its 1-0 loss to Bayern in last year's final by seizing the advantage going into the second leg in Paris next week.
Marquinhos scored the other goal as the visitors went 2-0 up inside the first half hour, but the PSG captain went off injured shortly afterward and Bayern responded through headers from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Müller.
Mbappé sealed the win with his eight goal of the competition in the 68th. The visitors had four shots on target altogether.
“I think it was efficiency. We managed to score with almost all of our opportunities, and we managed to defend well as a team, even if it's difficult against Bayern Munich,” Mbappé said. “But there's a second round at home and we'll have to win again if we want to qualify for the semifinals.”
Bayern had 31 efforts at goal and clearly missed Robert Lewandowski's accuracy. The Poland star is the Bundesliga's top scorer with 35 goals in 25 appearances, but he returned from the international break with a knee injury. Bayern was also without forward Serge Gnabry because of a positive COVID-19 test.
“Unfortunately it wasn't as decisive in front of goal as we normally are,” said Bayern coach Hansi Flick after his first Champions League defeat since taking over in November 2019. “The efficiency wasn't good. But still I'm very satisfied with the performance of the team, the way they played.”
The visitors also had absences due to COVID-19, with Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi both infected. Coach Mauricio Pochettino was also without forward Mauro Icardi and the suspended Leandro Paredes, as well as Layvin Kurzawa and Juan Bernat.
In Wednesday's other quarterfinal, goals by Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell lifted Chelsea past Porto 2-0 in a game played in Seville, Spain, because of travel restrictions.