⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain Stuns Bayern Munich in Germany ⚽️ ⚽️

     ⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain   ⚽️  ⚽️ 

PSG has been enduring a rather inconsistent, streaky season so far this year. Traditionally the powerhouse of French football in recent years, the team has struggled considerably in Ligue 1 play, losing far more often than they usually do, sometimes to lowly teams that most would have figured that they would at least win, and possibly win with some ease. But they have struggled far more than most people most likely expected them to, at least to this point. This has led to them being in a place that they are not too familiar with: in second place, with chances to come back and win the Ligue 1 title feeling like they are slipping away. There may still be some time, but yes, it feels like PSG's opportunities to catch Lille and win another title are in serious jeopardy.

Entering this season, PSG were widely considered to be the favorites to take another Ligue 1 title. But they have been riddled with injuries and even distractions. Also, as mentioned earlier, while they seemed to meet or even exceed high expectations in some games, they have had their share of letdowns and disappointments, as well.

Still, all of this could have simply been chalked up to them having a disappointing season, except for one major thing: they have played exceptionally well in the UEFA Champions League. PSG just got the best of Barcelona - one of the truly elite football clubs in Europe - in recent weeks. Then, they followed that up with an impressive win over legendary club Bayern-Munich (German: Fußball-Club Bayern München). Here is a brief description by my brother in an email from earlier this evening:

PSG's baffling season continues: subpar performances in Ligue 1, but brilliant ones in the Champions League. They earned a crucial 3-2 win against Bayern in Munich, with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday the 13th at the Parc des Princes. While that match isn't likely to be easy by any means, they have the upper hand, and are quite possibly on the verge of eliminating one of the giants of European soccer, after having eliminated another one in the previous round. Stay tuned! 

Yet, it was not an easy win for PSG, and it was kind of a back and forth game, with momentum changes. Still in the end, PSG pulled through.

It began with a surprisingly early goal by young superstar Kylian Mbappé, who gave the Parisians the early lead with a goal in the 3rd minute.

Then, fellow PSG star Marquinhos hit the back of the net in the 28th minute, off a very impressive assist by his fellow Brazilian countryman and PSG teammate, Neymar. 

Suddenly, PSG was up, 2-0, on the road in Germany against one of the most dominant clubs in the sport.

But their comfort margin did not last too long. Bayern Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was able to get his team on the board, finally, in the 37th minute, giving his club a chance down only by one goal as the two teams went into the locker rooms for halftime.

Not too late into the second half, Bayern Munich really tightened things up and made things uncomfortable for the visiting Parisians, as Thomas Müller scored in the 60th minute to tie the game up, 2-2. Also, they clearly had the momentum by this point.

However, PSG has enjoyed strong success in recent years, and this has allowed them to build the kind of character where they can respond to adversity. This they did, as once again, PSG star Mbappé answered the call with his second goal in the 68th minute, giving PSG another lead, at 3-2.

They were able to hold Bayern Munich off for the duration of the day, and thus secured yet another impressive win in the UEFA Champions League, even while they continue to struggle in Ligue 1 play.

Go figure.

In any case, what a win for PSG!

A precious victory in Munich! FIRST TEAM April 7th 2021

https://en.psg.fr/teams/first-team/content/a-precious-victory-in-munich-match-report-summary-bayern-munich-paris-saint-germain-2020-2021-uefa-champions-league