How Paris Saint-Germain Cracked the Bayern Munich Code

Paris Saint-Germain lost the battle against FC Bayern Munich, but they won the war and will advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by James Teague, JC, and Carl-Oscar Källström (albeit a little late), to break down PSG's 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes that was ultimately just enough to see Les Parisiens through to the next round via the away goal rule.

Up first, I ask the panel if the best team advanced. So much was made of Bayern's performance in the first leg and how statistically, they outplayed PSG, but at the end of the day, it was Mauricio Pochettino's squad that scored the goals needed while the Germans wasted chance after chance.

The opening 45 minutes for PSG was especially thrilling. Neymar Jr. was sensational and reminded everyone why he's considered one of the best. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to find the back of the net and instead hit the post and crossbar while attempting to score. Kylian Mbappé was at his best as well, but he was called offside numerous times as he attempted to exploit Bayern's high defensive line once again. I ask the panel what they thought of PSG's superstars and whether this was their best performance for PSG to date.

While Neymar and Mbappé get all of the headlines, we give some love to PSG's defensive unit who held on in the waning minutes under intense pressure from Bayern. Idrissa Gueye, Presnel Kimpembe, Colin Dagba, Danilo Pereira, and Keylor Navas were outstanding on the night and I ask the guys just how they managed to only allow one goal.

Next, we discuss Pochettino and what he did tactically to frustrate Bayern Munich. Was his decision to not play Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi the right one? I also ask the guys whether or not they believe if former manager, Thomas Tuchel, would have been able to advance past Bayern.

After the match, many pundits had to give PSG credit for their accomplishments this Champions League season, but one, in particular, felt like he needed to take a shot at the club, its best players, and the French league. Jamie Carragher, who is a former Liverpool FC player and current pundit for CBS Sports, tried to make the point that Neymar and Mbappé have no business playing for PSG because of the perceived weakness of Ligue 1. His argument, as I understand it, is that those players are only in Paris for the money and he even goes as far as to say PSG is not a big club. You can watch a clip of the comments below and you know we go in on Mr. Carragher for his foolish comments.

To wrap up the show, we look ahead to the semi-final tie against Manchester City and discuss which players in their squad PSG may have trouble with over two games.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts.

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