Mbappe brace helps PSG to thrilling win at holders Bayern
Football
By
Reuters
| Apr 08, 2021
Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe scored twice to steer the visitors to a 3-2 victory over holders Bayern Munich in a topsy-turvy Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
On a snowy evening in the Bavarian capital, Mbappe fired in his eighth goal of the competition in the 68th minute after Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 37th and Thomas Mueller on the hour had cancelled out a two-goal PSG lead.
It was Bayern's first Champions League loss in more than two years and the first ever for coach Hansi Flick, who had been unbeaten in his previous 16 matches in Europe's premier club competition.
The Germans will be wondering how they failed to earn at least a point with 31 goal attempts to PSG's six, 15 corners to one and a string of golden opportunities.
PSG had stunned the hosts in the third minute through Mbappe, whose powerful low drive squeezed through the legs of keeper Manuel Neuer.
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The French champions were brutally efficient and scored with their second chance of the game when Neymar picked out Marquinhos with a pinpoint cross and the PSG captain beat Neuer in the 28th minute.
Marquinos went off injured immediately after scoring and the defender's absence dealt a blow to Mauricio Pochettino's back line before replacement Ander Herrera could settle in.
Bayern quickly took control of the game and came close through Mueller and Choupo-Moting, who was replacing the injured Robert Lewandowski.
Choupo-Moting had headed onto the crossbar in the second minute but did better with another header and Mueller brought the hosts level, nodding in a Joshua Kimmich free kick.
The 22-year-old Mbappe then scored again, drilling in from a tight angle and with two defenders in front of him to put PSG back in front.
They had to survive intense late pressure from Bayern, with David Alaba and Mueller going agonisingly close for the hosts, but hung on for victory ahead of next week's return leg in Paris.