Bayern Munich’s wait for a first Champions League title since 2020 continues after Paris Saint-Germain knocked the German side out in the semifinals. A 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena completed a 6-5 aggregate win for the holders.
The tie had already produced one of the competition’s most dramatic matches when PSG won the first leg 5-4 in Paris. Bayern conceded early in Munich when Ousmane Dembélé fired in after only three minutes, finishing off a move set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The match remained frantic throughout. Controversy erupted over several refereeing decisions: PSG’s Nuno Mendes escaped a second yellow for a handball, while the officials instead penalized Bayern’s Konrad Laimer for handball on another incident — a call that replays did not appear to support. The decision angered fans at the stadium and Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
“I watched the footage three times. And I didn’t see a single image where Konrad Laimer touched the ball with his hand,” Kompany said after the game. Laimer himself said that had a player been shown a second yellow just 20 minutes in, “that certainly would have been a very decisive moment.”
Bayern’s frustrations were compounded when the ball struck Vitinha’s arm in the box and no penalty was awarded; VAR was not brought in. The atmosphere briefly turned volatile and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to ask supporters to stop throwing objects onto the pitch, a warning that was heeded.
Jamal Musiala threatened on several occasions before half-time but Bayern went into the break still needing more. In the second half the visitors often stifled Bayern’s attacking rhythm and the hosts lacked the clinical finishing that has defined their Bundesliga season. PSG remained dangerous on the break, and although Harry Kane pulled one back in the closing moments, Bayern could not find an equalizer that would have forced extra time.
“We weren’t ‘killers’ in attack today. That key moment in the game was simply missing. We were there, but things weren’t sharp enough inside the PSG box. Right now, disappointment is the overriding emotion for us,” Neuer told DAZN.
With the Bundesliga already secured, Bayern still have a chance to complete a 13th domestic double if they beat Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23. Kompany tried to focus on the future despite the exit: “Of course, in the end we lost two very, very tight games against a very good opponent. The Champions League is over for us this season, but there will be another chance – and that’s a motivation for me.”
PSG will now aim to reach a second straight Champions League final when they face English leaders Arsenal — who beat Atletico Madrid in the other semi — in Budapest on May 30. A PSG triumph would make them the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid’s run from 2016 to 2018.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery