Ousmane Dembele’s third minute goal in Munich was enough to seal Paris Saint-Germain’s place in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal in Budapest via a thrilling 6-5 margin on aggregate, despite Harry Kane’s stoppage time strike that saw the game finish 1-1 on the night.
Kane’s superb late left foot strike was just too late for the hosts, who pushed hard for an equaliser to set the game alight, but couldn’t break down the well organised Parisians.
The equation became immediately harder for the hosts when Frenchman Dembele finished emphatically from the right of the box after dazzling work from the irresistible Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left flank, who sliced past the Bayern rear guard, surged in behind and calmly teed up the Ballon d’Or winner to hand PSG the best possible and Bayern the worst possible start.
PSG were largely in control throughout the game, with the likes of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho imperious at the back, while Desire Doue made Manuel Neuer work throughout the evening. Bayern threw everything at PSG in the dying exchanges but the Parisians were good enough to prevail.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, speaking on TNT Sports, praised Luis Enrique for the way his team of stars worked.
“I think you could say that across the board, they’re all on the front foot, all aggressive, all putting the work in,” he said on TNT Sports. “Credit to Luis Enrique, that’s what he’s built, he’s taken the ego away from the team.”
But Bayern and their boss Vincent Kompany were incensed in the first half when they thought they’d carved the opportunity to get back into the game, but the handball rule, which has proved so controversial throughout the semi final stage, rearing its head again.
Should Paris Saint-Germain be down to 10 players?
The referee initially penalised (the already cautioned) Nuno Mendes for a handball, but seemed to change his mind on advice from his assistant and gave a free kick against Konrad Laimer instead. pic.twitter.com/kXPK5hcPWX — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 6, 2026
Bayern Munich couldn't believe PSG weren't called for a handball on either of these plays.
The first one would have been a second yellow on Nuno Mendes as well. pic.twitter.com/GT55V3f2Mu — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 6, 2026
Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro clearly handled the ball on the half hour mark after Vitinha smashed the ball into him. In a technicality that meant VAR didn’t even intervene, the PSG players were protected by a rule designed to avoid players giving away fouls for when a teammate unexpectantly hits you.
The rule states if the player is “hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards, in which case a direct free-kick is awarded to the other team)”.
Earlier, Nuno Mendes appeared to handball – while on a yellow card already – but he escaped sanction for the handball, and being sent off, because Bayern’s Konrad Laimer had handled in the buildup and been flagged by the assistant referee.
More to come…