Speaking at a press conference following the victory in the first leg of the 1/8 round, Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said he was surprised by the way the game gave way to PSG’s opponents.
“We played very well in the first 25 minutes. My players and I were both surprised when we had so much possession. Bayern did not expect Paris Saint Germain (PSG) to play so passively,” said coach Julian Nagelsmann of Bayern Munich. said following a 1-0 victory over the home team PSG in the first leg of the 1/8 Champions League round.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann was surprised by the passive play of the home team PSG (Image: Getty).
Coach Christophe Galtier’s army completely lost control of the ball in the middle and continuously gathered a large number of players in the home field to withstand the attacking pressure from Bayern Munich throughout the first half. Even PSG did not have a shot on goal of goalkeeper Sommer in the first 45 minutes.
PSG’s game only really changed when Mbappe was introduced to the field in the 57th minute. In more than 30 minutes on the field, the French superstar made a difference with his speed and ability to move smart, even even conceded Yann Sommer twice but unfortunately was not recognized due to offside.
Mbappe caused a lot of difficulties for Bayern Munich when he entered the field in the second half (Image: Getty).
“Actually I’m not used to seeing PSG fall like this, be it due to recent form or Mbappe’s absence. But when he came on, the atmosphere on the pitch changed and woke the players up. We had two bad defenses and conceded a goal, but luckily the opponent was offside.
PSG play much better with Mbappe, he can change any game. It’s not a good thing for the second leg but we will plan to prepare for the scenario where he starts.
The first leg result wasn’t bad, but it didn’t mean too much either. Bayern have an advantage over PSG, but we cannot be complacent. PSG will make much more effort and determination when they meet us once more in the second leg,” coach Nagelsmann expressed caution in the upcoming second leg.
With the defeat of PSG in the first leg of the 1/8 round, Bayern Munich have won all of the first 7 matches in a Champions League season. The last time doing this, the Bavarian club was crowned champion (season 2019-20).