Paris Saint-Germain hold a slim advantage after a wild 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele each scoring twice. Joao Neves added another as the reigning European champions carried a narrow one-goal lead to the Allianz Arena.

The match produced nine goals, making it the highest-scoring semi-final in Champions League history. Across all European Cups, only Eintracht Frankfurt’s 6-3 win over Rangers in the 1959-60 semi-final had previously reached the same total, underlining how unusual this first leg was for both clubs.

Only four fixtures in Champions League history have featured more goals overall. Those games are Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw in 2016, Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruna in 2003, Bayern 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb in 2024 and Bayern 8-2 Barcelona in 2020, placing this semi-final among rare company.

This was also the first time both sides scored at least four goals in a semi-final in any European competition. It has only occurred once before in a Champions League knockout tie, when Chelsea drew 4-4 with Liverpool in the 2008-09 quarter-finals, showing how open this contest became.

After the game, Luis Enrique struggled to compare the contest to anything experienced before on this stage. The head coach praised both sets of players for maintaining a relentless tempo, even as momentum kept swinging between PSG and Bayern following the hosts’ initial surge into a 5-2 lead.

Speaking to Canal+, Luis Enrique said: “We showed what types of teams we are. I’ve never experienced a match with this intensity and such a desire to win. The fans of both teams are happy to see this type of show. Physically, we haven’t given up. I’ve never seen a rhythm like this. We have to congratulate both teams and all the players. When you’re three goals ahead, the opponent will take a lot of risks, and they’re at a very high level. It was complicated, and it will be the same in the second leg. This is only the third game they have lost this season. We’re happy. Both teams have developed their personalities.”

Managers and players look ahead to Champions League semi-final return

The result also marked a personal milestone for Luis Enrique. The PSG manager has now reached 50 wins in just 77 Champions League matches. No other coach has needed fewer games to reach that total in this competition, adding another achievement to an already strong European record.

Bayern enter the return leg with recent experience of chaotic knockout football. In the quarter-finals, Bayern defeated Real Madrid 6-4 on aggregate, including a 4-3 victory in the second leg. That tie already showed their willingness to attack, even when it leaves defensive space for opponents to exploit.

This latest match means Bayern have allowed three or more goals in consecutive European Cup or Champions League games for the first time since a three-match stretch in October and November 1973. Bayern lifted the trophy that same season, a detail that may offer perspective before the decider in Munich.

Dayot Upamecano, who scored for Bayern at the Parc des Princes, underlined that nothing feels settled yet. Upamecano said: “We wanted to win, that’s for sure. There is one game left, at home, and nothing is decided. It will be a match for the big boys, a very intense match with a lot of duels. But we’re going to do everything we can to show that we’re at home. Nothing is decided. They will have to come to the Allianz Arena, and we will defend our colours.”