Bayern Munich secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena. The result saw the German champions progress 3-0 on aggregate, with former Stoke City striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and ex-Arsenal man Serge Gnabry scoring the goals that sent PSG crashing out of the competition for a second consecutive year.
Choupo-Moting opened the scoring in the first half after PSG midfielder Marco Verratti was dispossessed by Leon Goretzka, who squared the ball to the Cameroon international to slot home past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Gnabry then sealed the win in the 90th minute, racing through on goal to calmly finish past the Italian goalkeeper.
The victory was a remarkable turnaround for Choupo-Moting, who famously missed an open goal for PSG against Strasbourg in 2019. The forward had a disappointing spell at Stoke City in the Premier League, scoring just five times in his only season at the club. However, he has made a significant impact since joining Bayern Munich and has now scored 17 goals this season, including four in the Champions League.
Gnabry, meanwhile, has also enjoyed a resurgence since leaving Arsenal. The Germany international struggled to make an impact during a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion but has since become a key player for Bayern Munich. His goal against PSG was his eighth in the Champions League this season, making him the competition’s joint-top scorer alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
The victory saw Bayern Munich progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they will face either Liverpool or Real Madrid. The German champions are one of the favourites to win the competition and could make history if they do so. If they lift the trophy, their manager Julian Nagelsmann will become the youngest coach to win the Champions League at just 35 years old.
For PSG, however, it was another disappointing exit from the competition. Despite boasting some of the world’s best players, including Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the French side have struggled to make an impact in Europe in recent years. They will now turn their attention to domestic competitions, where they remain in contention for both the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.
Overall, Bayern Munich’s victory over PSG was a deserved one, with Choupo-Moting and Gnabry playing key roles in securing their side’s progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. While PSG will be disappointed to have exited the competition once again, they will take heart from their performances in domestic competitions and will look to bounce back next season.
