Luis Enrique predicts more thrills in return leg after PSG beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in classic

PARIS – Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted that his team will likely need to score several more goals at Bayern Munich next week to be sure of reaching another Champions League final.

He made his comments after a remarkable 5-4 victory in the first leg of their semi-final in Paris on April 28.

“I just asked my staff how many goals they thought we would need next week and we all think we will need to score at least three,” said the Spaniard, who masterminded PSG’s 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in last season’s final.

That victory over Inter allowed them to win the Champions League for the first time in their history and the semi-final, second leg on May 6 will be their first visit to the Allianz Arena since then.

“Bayern will of course be in their stadium and will be even stronger with their fans behind them but going back there will bring back beautiful memories for us,” Enrique added.

“We want to have the same mentality and will go out to try to win the game.”

The April 28 thriller was the highest-scoring semi-final in the modern Champions League era – one has to go back to 1960 to find the last game as prolific at this stage of the European Cup.

That was a 6-3 semi-final, second-leg win for Eintracht Frankfurt against Rangers in Glasgow, before the Germans lost 7-3 in the final to Alfredo di Stefano’s Real Madrid.

“The intensity of the game throughout was exceptional,” assessed Enrique.

“We won it and we are very pleased, but at 5-2 we thought we could have had a better result.

“We deserved to win, but we also deserved to draw and lose!”

A crazy first-half at the Parc des Princes saw Harry Kane give Bayern the lead with an early penalty.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Joao Neves netted for the hosts and Michael Olise then made it 2-2, only for an Ousmane Dembele penalty to restore PSG’s lead at the interval.

Kvaratskhelia and Dembele then scored for PSG before the hour mark, leaving them seemingly out of sight at 5-2, but Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz pulled goals back for Bayern.

That ensures it will be game on in Munich, and there is a strong chance this tie could become the most prolific ever in the Champions League.

The record for most goals in a two-legged tie in Europe’s elite club competition is 13, including in last season’s semi-final in which Inter beat Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate.

“I was proud of how we reacted at 5-2. It was incredible how the players fought back,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, who had to watch from the stands due to suspension.

Asked about the attacking approach of the two teams, the Belgian added: “Football is a bit like religion – people believe what they believe, and there is not one style of play that is superior to another.

“What happened today was a clash of two similar ideas.

“Normally in these situations you have one team that starts to sit back a bit but neither team wanted to do that and that is why the match was how it was.”

Bayern will hope to overturn their one-goal deficit as they look to reach a first Champions League final since 2020, which they won by beating PSG 1-0 in Lisbon.

“It can’t come quick enough,” Kompany said of the return leg.

“There is not much in it and we just need to win the game.

“The weight of our stadium can make a difference. It is a legendary venue where Bayern have had so many great successes.”

Kane believes Bayern’s fighting spirit will be crucial.

“We saw two high-level teams out there today, especially in the attacking play and in the transitions, the speed, the intensity in the one-against-one battles,” he said. “Two of the top teams going toe-to-toe.

“It’ll be who takes their moments next week. There were a lot of moments out there today, and it’s probably going to be the same next week.

“So, us being at home with the crowd behind us, we hope that can push us over the line.” AFP, REUTERS