play1:18Moreno credits Bayern for keeping PSG tie alive in ParisAle Moreno was impressed to see Bayern Munich keep the tie against PSG alive after falling 5-2 down in Paris.
play1:08Leboeuf: Even the best defenders in the world end up in troubleFrank Leboeuf says the defensive side of the game was “forgotten” in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich’s UCL semifinal.
play1:41ESPN FC crew back VAR call to overturn Arsenal’s penaltyStewart Robson, Frank Leboeuf and Craig Burley agree with the VAR intervention that prevented a second Arsenal penalty against Atletico Madrid.
play2:00Burley: Atletico-Arsenal like a ‘Europa League semifinal’ compared to PSG-BayernCraig Burley can’t imagine either Atletico Madrid or Arsenal stopping PSG or Bayern from winning the Champions League.
Gab MarcottiCloseGab MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FCGabriele Marcotti is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @Marcotti.Follow on X, Sam TigheCloseSam TigheESPNSam is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster for ESPN. He will write on the Premier League, scouting and transfers.Follow on X, Julien Laurens, Mark OgdenCloseMark OgdenSenior WriterMark Ogden is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @MarkOgden_.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsApr 29, 2026, 09:20 PM ET
Q1. So PSG and Bayern put on a nine-goal thriller, but was it a good game/instant classic, or a chaotic mess?
Q2. If PSG and Bayern did this in leg one, what can we expect from leg two? Both Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique pledged postgame that they would stick to their approaches next week; can the return fixture live up to the hype or will nerves set in? And who goes through: Bayern Munich, or PSG?
Q4. Atlético and Arsenal ended 1-1, with both sides scoring a penalty and then Arsenal being denied a second spot-kick late in the second half. Were they the right decisions?
Q5. You’ve made your picks to advance from Bayern and PSG. Who advances here, and do either of them have a chance against whichever team emerges from the Allianz Arena next week?
Burley expects PSG to advance after thrilling first leg win (1:54)Craig Burley explains why he’s siding with PSG to beat Bayern Munich to the Champions League final. (1:54)
Moreno credits Bayern for keeping PSG tie alive in ParisAle Moreno was impressed to see Bayern Munich keep the tie against PSG alive after falling 5-2 down in Paris.
Ale Moreno was impressed to see Bayern Munich keep the tie against PSG alive after falling 5-2 down in Paris.
Leboeuf: Even the best defenders in the world end up in troubleFrank Leboeuf says the defensive side of the game was “forgotten” in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich’s UCL semifinal.
Frank Leboeuf says the defensive side of the game was “forgotten” in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich’s UCL semifinal.
ESPN FC crew back VAR call to overturn Arsenal’s penaltyStewart Robson, Frank Leboeuf and Craig Burley agree with the VAR intervention that prevented a second Arsenal penalty against Atletico Madrid.
Stewart Robson, Frank Leboeuf and Craig Burley agree with the VAR intervention that prevented a second Arsenal penalty against Atletico Madrid.
Burley: Atletico-Arsenal like a ‘Europa League semifinal’ compared to PSG-BayernCraig Burley can’t imagine either Atletico Madrid or Arsenal stopping PSG or Bayern from winning the Champions League.
Craig Burley can’t imagine either Atletico Madrid or Arsenal stopping PSG or Bayern from winning the Champions League.
Well, well, well: the first legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinals are in the books, and we have a lot to discuss.
We had Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich put on a clinic of end-to-end action in a 5-4 game on Tuesday, while Wednesday saw Atlético Madrid and Arsenal battle to a gritty 1-1 draw that leaves things hanging in the balance heading to the Emirates next week.
So, what to make of it all? ESPN FC writers Gab Marcotti, Mark Ogden, Julien Laurens and Sam Tighe are here to break down the action as it happened and look ahead to the second legs.
– Marcotti: Don’t nitpick, just marvel at PSG vs. Bayern – VAR Review: Were Bayern wronged by penalty call? – Atlético, Arsenal still have all to play for in Champions League
Tighe: It was the best game of football I’ve seen since at least the 2022 FIFA World Cup final … but honestly, it might simply end up going down as the best I’ve ever seen.
However, mine is not a universally held view. Former players turned pundits Wayne Rooney and Clarence Seedorf were somewhat scathing of the defending on show; the former called it “immature,” while the latter was so concerned it prompted him to suggest Arsenal are the favourites to win the Champions League.
OK, fine, it was no rearguard masterclass. There were some two-on-two breaks that exposed wide-open defensive schemes, but the main reason we saw nine goals is because the quality of the attackers was simply too damn high to deal with.
Moreno credits Bayern for keeping PSG tie alive in Paris
Much of this was simply elite attackers winning their one-on-one battles so convincingly, it made great defenders look shabby. I’m not one to turn my nose up at that sort of thing!
Ogden: I love watching a team execute a well-drilled defensive plan, which is weird considering that I grew up idolising strikers, but I’m never going to throw a bucket of cold water over a game as enthralling as PSG vs. Bayern by pointing to the defensive shortcomings of both sides. It was an amazing game made better by the fact that risk and adventure were rewarded in the shape of goals and plenty of near misses.
Laurens: I’ll admit, I really don’t understand this debate. It was both magical and chaotic, and we are allowed to like both. It is a bit like the old Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. You don’t have to choose one or the other — they are both GOATs and you are allowed to like them both.
Take Vitinha. In possession on Tuesday, he was once again incredible and is arguably one of the best players in the world in his position. Without the ball, however, he was not good enough because he doesn’t have the power, strength or a defensive mindset. Some managers, like PSG boss Luis Enrique, love him and what he offers; other more defensive-minded coaches would not.
Marcotti: The old cliché is that the perfect, mistake-free game ends 0-0 and sure, you can go back, review the tape, second-guess and point out errors on many of the goals.
Why does Jamal Musiala let João Neves run across him? Why are there four guys around Olise and he still scores? There were many other examples, but I think it needs to be seen within the context of the game. Most matches are like that, with goals scored because somebody makes a mistake — or a decision they quickly come to regret — and often because somebody very talented forces them into a mistake.
The intensity and athleticism on display Tuesday night was outrageous. And the precision of the movements, and the individual technique of the players: are you kidding me? I might add — and maybe it should be food for thought — that both teams had plenty of rest and plenty of time to work on stuff without domestic pressure. It’s amazing what great managers can achieve with great teams when given the tools to do so, rather than forcing them into the usual congested fixture lists.
Ogden: I don’t think we can realistically expect a different game, simply because both teams are so accustomed to winning and dominating that neither are likely to shut up shop if they go ahead on the night.
PSG won’t go to Munich to defend their one-goal lead. They will try to score again and kill the tie off, but Bayern need to score, so their approach from minute one will be based on attack.
Achraf Hakimi’s absence will be a big blow for PSG and without him, it won’t be the same. Warren Zaïre-Emery will start at right back, and he offers different qualities than the Moroccan: expect less attacking output on that flank, but more stability. Paris have a slight lead, but the fact that the game is in Munich erases that slender advantage, which will feel like a one-goal head start for Bayern.
Leboeuf: Even the best defenders in the world end up in trouble
Marcotti: You can’t realistically expect them to come back and play like this again in eight days’ time, but I do think it stung Luis Enrique a little bit that his team gave up two goals in the space of three minutes with half an hour left, turning a 5-2 advantage into a slender 5-4 lead.
I’d assume sending on Fabián Ruiz was maybe a way to manage the game a little bit, put on some fresh legs and add a wise, ball-playing head to PSG’s midfield, but it wasn’t enough. I’m not suggesting they should have gone full-on catenaccio and gone to play on the counter, but this PSG side are very flexible. They can play possession, and their transition game is exceptional.
Tighe: I agree with Gab that of the two teams, PSG is the one capable of trying to slow the game down and control proceedings. Zaïre-Emery replacing Hakimi at right back would lend itself to the team being more cautious too and quite frankly, I consider this essential to winning the tie.
Bayern’s inability — or unwillingness — to play anything other than electric attacking football at 100 mph has been a treat to watch, but it has left them vulnerable against Real Madrid and now PSG. It threatened to derail them at the Bernabéu and it put them 5-2 behind at one stage at the Parc des Princes.
Now that’s not to sniff at what they do well, because clearly they’re able to hang four or five goals on Europe’s top teams. But PSG are the only opponent who can return that favour, and if they do find themselves in a spot where they need to take the tempo out of the game in order to win, I back them to do it.
This was not a bad game. It was a tactical affair as we expected. It was intense as we expected too, but in a different way than Tuesday night. It was structured, it was disciplined, and it showcased different philosophies to Kompany and Luis Enrique.