Kim Min-jae’s solitary goal secured Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory over 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Bayern created the first opportunity of the match when Jamal Musiala’s half-volley was saved by goalkeeper Matvei Safonov in the seventh minute. Moments later, Leroy Sane’s shot was also stopped by Safonov.
As the game progressed, the visitors began to find their rhythm and posed a greater threat, with Warren Zaire-Emery firing over from 14 meters and Ousmane Dembele testing Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Joshua Kimmich’s corner was parried by Safonov into the path of Kim, who nodded home from close range.
The second half began poorly for PSG when Dembele brought down Alphonso Davies and received a second yellow card, resulting in his dismissal in the 57th minute.
With the numerical advantage, Bayern controlled the proceedings and maintained their slim lead until the final whistle.
“We wanted the fans to go home happy, and that’s what happened. We showed discipline. We should have scored more goals to put the game to bed earlier,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
PSG now sits 26th with four points and faces elimination from the group stage, while Bayern moves up to 11th following their third win of the campaign.
Also on Tuesday, Florian Wirtz’s first-half brace paved the way for Bayer Leverkusen’s 5-0 win over Austrian side Salzburg.
The Werkself got off to a perfect start when Wirtz converted from the penalty spot after eight minutes, and added a second goal three minutes later when Alejandro Grimaldo curled a free kick from the edge of the box over the wall and into the top left-hand corner.
Leverkusen continued to press and extended their lead moments later when Wirtz capitalized on Grimaldo’s assist to slot the ball past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
Despite making three substitutions at the start of the second half, Leverkusen’s momentum remained unaffected as Patrik Schick made it 4-0 in the 61st minute after latching onto Jeremie Frimpong’s pinpoint cross.
Salzburg struggled to respond as Leverkusen kept up the pressure, with Aleix Garcia netting the fifth goal in the 72nd minute following a pass from Wirtz.
“We put our foot on the gas from the first minute, showcased our quality on the pitch, and dominated the game,” said Wirtz.
The result lifts Leverkusen to fifth place, while Salzburg remains in 30th after suffering their fourth defeat of the campaign. ■