Erling Haaland summed up Paris Saint-Germain's 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg victory over Bayern Munich with a simple three-word reaction: 'This is football.' The Manchester City striker, whose side were eliminated in the last 16 by Real Madrid, watched the enthralling contest from home and shared his thoughts on social media.
The match at the Parc des Princes was a goal-fest, with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia each scoring twice for PSG, while Joao Neves also found the net. Bayern responded through Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz, but fell short in a game widely described as a 'final before the final'.
Alan Shearer, on co-commentary for Prime Video, called it 'one of the greatest games I've ever been to', praising the openness and attacking intent of both sides. PSG boss Luis Enrique declared it the best match he has ever managed, saying: 'It had amazing rhythm, trying to play offensive football. I think everybody had fun watching the match.'
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany was less enthused but remained optimistic. 'We suffered but we were dangerous. Five goals away from home in the Champions League normally means you're out, but the chances we had made us believe,' he said. The second leg takes place in Munich next week.
