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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of familiar foes Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash in France.
The Parisians entered this contest on the back of two wins, two defeats, and one draw in their last five games across competitions. They were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by AS Monaco in their last outing in the league. However, with the positive news that Lionel Messi was available to start, Christophe Galtier's men were eager to win.
Bayern, on the other hand, arrived in Paris on the back of three wins and two draws in their last five games across competitions. They secured a comfortable 3-0 win over VfL Bochum in the league at the Allianz Arena. Julian Nagelsmann named a strong starting lineup as the Bavarians looked to carry home an advantage.
The first half was a cagey affair in terms of clear-cut chances as PSG sat deep and absorbed Bayern's high press. Whenever the hosts had the ball, they tried to pass it out the back rather than opt for the long ball as that led to a loss of possession. The visitors looked sharp with the ball as they arrived in key areas in and around the Parisians' box, but failed to score.
PSG attempted just one shot in the first half but failed to hit the target. Bayern, on the other hand, were more productive in the final third. They attempted 10 shots and hit the target twice. Had they been more clinical, they could have carried a healthy lead into the break.
The teams were deadlocked at 0-0 at half-time.
Bayern decided to make a switch during the break as Alphonso Davies replaced Joao Cancelo. The move bore fruit just eight minutes after the restart as the substitute provided the assist for Bayern's goal with a lovely cross. Former PSG man Kingsley Coman was at the far post and applied a cushioned finish to make it 1-0.
The Parc des Princes crowd went quiet for a while but roared in unison in the 57th minute as Kylian Mbappe came onto the pitch. After a few misplaced passes, the Frenchman appeared to have leveled the game with 15 minutes to go. However, he had backtracked from an offside position and the goal was ruled out.
Mbappe saw another close-range finish ruled out just after 80 minutes as PSG continued swarm forward. Nuno Mendes was offside in the build-up before crossing the ball to the forward. Benjamin Pavard seemed to put Bayern in trouble as he was sent off for a second bookable offense after lunging into a tackle on Lionel Messi.
However, the hosts could not grab an equalizer as Bayern protected their slender lead. On that note, let's take a look at how PSG's players fared in this game.
PSG Player Ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 7.5/10
Donnarumma put in an immense performance between the sticks for PSG and was the main reason why Bayern only won 1-0. He made two saves in the first half and topped it up with four stops in the second period. He was unable to get down in time as Coman's shot snuck under him for the goal.
Achraf Hakimi - 6/10
Hakimi continued his run of inconsistent performances as he underperformed tonight. He won just one of his six duels and was dribbled past twice. He also lost possession five times and was subbed off at half-time.
Marquinhos - 6.5/10
PSG skipper Marquinhos put in a decent performance as he won five of his seven duels, making four clearances in the process. He also attempted one shot on target but did not test Yann Sommer in goal.
Sergio Ramos - 7/10
Ramos put in a combative performance and was solid in defense. He won nine of his 13 duels, making seven clearances, three interceptions, and two tackles. He also played two long balls and attempted one shot off target late in the game.
Nuno Mendes - 7/10
Mendes was strong in the tackle and won 11 of his 17 duels on the left flank, making two tackles and one clearance. He also played one key pass and completed six of his seven dribbles, with a brilliant piece of footwork to beat the two men in one move. The Portuguese full-back was marginally offside and was denied a wonderful assist in the 80th minute.
Warren Zaire-Emery - 6/10
Sixteen-year-old Zaire-Emery struggled to get into the game against a formidable opposition. He won three of his seven duels, making one tackle. He had 25 touches of the ball but lost possession 11 times.
Danilo Pereira - 6.5/10
Danilo started in central midfield and put in a good performance. He won four of his seven duels and passed the ball with 90% accuracy. He also made two tackles and one interception.
Marco Verratti - 6.5/10
Verratti had a solid game in midfield as he won nine duels, making four tackles and one interception. He also completed three of his four dribbles. However, he could not impact the game much as Bayern maintained pressure.
Carlos Soler - 6.5/10
Soler had a decent game as he was active during transitional play. He won four of his five duels, making two tackles and one interception. He also completed two dribbles and played one key pass.
Lionel Messi - 7/10
Messi had a decent game for PSG but lacked cutting edge in front of goal as he saw both his shots blocked. He won 10 of his 16 duels, played one key pass and completed five dribbles.
Neymar - 7/10
Neymar put in a good performance but was unable to find that extra yard of space in the final third as Bayern squeezed narrow. He won five duels, completed three dribbles and played one key pass. The Brazilian attempted three shots but hit the target just once. He was booked late in the game for a foul.
Substitutes
Presnel Kimpembe - 6/10
Kimpembe replaced Hakimi at half-time and put in a decent performance, but was booked midway through the second half.
Kylian Mbappe - 6.5/10
Mbappe changed PSG's dynamic going forward and was unlucky as he put the ball in the back of the net twice, but both goals were ruled out for offside.
Fabian Ruiz - 6.5/10
Ruiz replaced Zaire-Emery and put in a good performance.
Vitinha - 6.5/10
Vitinha came on for his compatriot Pereira with 15 minutes left to play and had one attempt that he fired straight down the keeper's throat.
