Ousmane Dembele was targeted by Bayern Munich supporters who hurled a lighter and plastic cups at him during the Champions League semi-final clash at the Allianz Arena. The incident occurred in the 34th minute as the Paris Saint-Germain winger, who had already scored earlier in the match, prepared to take a corner kick near the home fans.
Incident During the Match
As Dembele approached the corner flag, a barrage of plastic cups and a red cigarette lighter rained down from the crowd. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner was forced to step away from the scene. Although the lighter did not appear to strike the 28-year-old, he picked it up from the pitch and handed it to referee Joao Pinheiro, who then passed it to the fourth official.
Neuer's Intervention
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer quickly ran over to the stands, gesturing for the fans to calm down and stop throwing objects. He also pointed to his wrist, signaling that the delay was wasting valuable time as Bayern sought to overturn their deficit in the tie.
At the time of the incident, PSG led 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. Dembele had opened the scoring just three minutes into the match, lashing home a cutback from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had been set up by Fabian Ruiz's exquisite pass.
Match Context
Bayern pushed hard for an equalizer in the first half, which would have reduced the aggregate deficit to one goal, but they failed to convert their chances before the break. The first leg had been a thrilling encounter, with Dembele scoring twice in PSG's 5-4 victory, making it the highest-scoring semi-final in Champions League history.
The winner of this semi-final will face Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest later this month. Arsenal, managed by Mikel Arteta, advanced by defeating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the other semi-final.
