Champions League | Bayern cruise past PSG to reach last eight

Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry celebrates scoring their second goal against PSG in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 stage
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bayern Munich forward Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting scored against his former club and Serge Gnabry added a late second as the Germans beat Paris St Germain 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 33-year-old Choupo-Moting, who played for PSG from 2018-20, tapped in from a Leon Goretzka assist in the 61st minute.

Substitute Gnabry struck on the break in the 89th minute to seal the hosts’ 3-0 aggregate win following their 1-0 victory in the first leg in Paris.

The result established Bayern as one of the title favourites going into the last eight and left PSG’s star-studded squad including world champion Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe without a shot at Europe’s premier club trophy for another year.

The quarter-final draw will take place on March 17.

PSG, without injured forward Neymar, were sharper in the early stages and went close through Mbappe and then a double effort from Messi in front of goal in the 25th minute.

Bayern gradually took the fight to the visitors and had a chance of their own when Musiala’s 32nd-minute shot was blocked by keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Despite PSG captain Marquinhos being taken off with a rib injury in the 36th minute, the visitors almost went ahead two minutes later when under pressure Bayern keeper Yann Sommer lost possession in the box.

Vitinha’s shot with the goal at his mercy was cleared on the line by Matthijs de Ligt in what proved to be a pivotal moment in the game.

The Dutch defender had made an almost identical stop against VfB Stuttgart in the league last week.

With Mbappe largely kept quiet, it was his in-form former PSG team mate Choupo-Moting who scored when he struck just past the hour for his 17th goal in all competitions this season.

He had gone close twice a few minutes earlier.

PSG attempted to bounce back instantly and had a Sergio Ramos header saved by Sommer two minutes after the goal. The Spaniard also headed wide a little later but their hopes were shattered when Gnabry completed a quick break in the 89th minute.

“The best team won,” PSG’s Danilo said. “We missed a few chances, it’s hard to swallow. They’re a very physical side. I don’t have words. If we want to improve we have to stick together.”