Considered the two best players in the world, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi failed to find the fault for PSG in a Munich defense very well in place, Wednesday evening in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Expected as saviors of a Paris SG beaten in the first leg in its Parc des Princes (1-0), neither Kylian Mbappé nor Lionel Messi managed to shine on Wednesday evening to try to snatch qualification for the quarterfinals in the queen competition of European football.
The confidence shown by Kylian Mbappé in tune with his teammates in the days leading up to the return match in Munich was therefore not followed up on the pitch.
On the lawn of the Allianz Arena made slippery by several showers of rain in the first period, the Parisians multiplied the balls in depth without ever perfectly finding the French international.
Mbappé only created one big chance, from the second minute: for his first duel with the young Croatian Josip Stanisic (22), he was a little too eccentric on his left side to hope to deceive vigilance by Yann Sommer, almost perfect on his line.
Then, most of the balls sent to Mbappé arrived in the gloves of the Swiss international, perfectly anticipating his outings.
During the first 45 minutes, the 2018 world champion only touched a dozen balls, insufficient to hope to overthrow Bayern, who have only conceded two goals this season in the Champions League (on the lawn of the Czechs of Viktoria Pilsen).
Total helplessness
In the second half, while Bayern had opened the scoring by a former Parisian house, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, shortly after the hour mark (61st), Mbappé, who had inherited the captain’s armband after the exit of Marquinhos failed once again, this time against his France team-mate Dayot Upamecano.
With his fine knowledge of Mbappé accumulated during the gatherings of the Blues, “Upa” formed with the Dutchman Matthijs De Ligt an impermeable central defense on the side of Bayern.
If the best Parisian opportunity came from Vitinha (38th) – whose shot was pushed back just in front of the line by De Ligt -, Messi also had the opportunity to open the scoring for the Parisians a few minutes earlier.
On a cross from Vitinha, the shot from the Argentine world champion was however blocked at the last moment by Alphonso Davies, a permanent threat on his left side in the role of piston, and Sommer came out to capture the ball.
The 35-year-old Argentinian, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, clearly lacked juice, like a duel lost against Bayern’s German defensive midfielder, Leon Goretzka, annihilating a Parisian counter.
The star duo of Paris SG was barely more visible in the second half, and it was the Spanish central defender of PSG Sergio Ramos, who created the best chances from a free kick.
As a symbol of Mbappé’s impotence against Bayern, on a cross from Warren Zaire-Emery in the last five minutes of the match, the shot once again found Davies to counter. And the French international stayed on the lawn for a few seconds, understanding that the match had escaped the Parisians.