Sports

Bayern Munich crush PSG's Champions League dreams with convincing 2-0 victory

Mbappe and Messi fail to inspire PSG as Bayern Munich dominate to secure quarter-final spot

By AFP
March 09, 2023
Paris Saint-Germains Argentine forward Lionel Messi (L) and Bayern Munichs Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd-leg football match FC Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain FC in Munich, southern Germany, on March 8, 2023. AFP
Paris Saint-Germain's Argentine forward Lionel Messi (L) and Bayern Munich's Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd-leg football match FC Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain FC in Munich, southern Germany, on March 8, 2023. AFP

MUNICH: Bayern Munich ended the Champions League hopes of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, beating the French club 2-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie to reach the quarter-finals 3-0 on aggregate. 

Leading 1-0 from the first leg in Paris last month, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting put Bayern in front on the night at the Allianz Arena and substitute Serge Gnabry wrapped up the victory a minute from time.

Bayern were worthy winners against a flat PSG side, for whom neither Kylian Mbappe nor Lionel Messi had the expected impact on the game while Neymar was missing with an ankle injury.

It is the second season running in which PSG have gone out of the Champions League in the last 16, and the fifth time in the last seven campaigns the Qatar-owned club have failed to go beyond the first knockout round.

They were not helped by injuries in defence, with captain Marquinhos forced off after 36 minutes with a rib problem and his replacement, Nordi Mukiele, also having to be substituted at half-time.

Vitinha might have put the French champions in front in the first half, but Matthijs de Ligt cleared his attempt off the line.

Bayern went ahead just after the hour mark, Leon Goretzka setting up the unmarked Choupo-Moting for an easy finish after Marco Verratti had been dispossessed in his own box.

Sergio Ramos came closest to getting the visitors back into the game before Gnabry clinched Bayern’s victory late on.