BERLIN, March 9: Bayern Munich advanced to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 (3-0 on aggregate) thanks to second-half goals from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry in the second leg. of the last 16 on Wednesday.
Paris Saint-Germain got off to a bright start as Kylian Mbappe ran down the left flank before testing Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a try from a tight angle following a counter-attack with just two minutes played.
Both teams seemed afraid to concede and focused on defense, with scoring opportunities at a premium.
Bayern created their first clear chance with 15 minutes to go when Leon Goretzka’s low shot from distance sent PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into action.
The visitors had their biggest chance to restore parity on 38 minutes, but Vitinha’s shot was blocked by Matthijs de Ligt after Sommer was dispossessed in his own box.
The Bavarians came out with their guns on fire after the restart and thought they had broken the tie, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s goal in the 54th minute was ruled offside.
The Bayern striker stayed in the thick of things and got his name on the scoreboard moments after Marco Verratti lost the ball to Goretzka, whose direct pass allowed Choupo-Moting to break the tie.
The visitors responded well and had a promising chance three minutes later when a diving save from Sommer neutralized Sergio Ramos’s dangerous header.
PSG needed two goals to progress and increased the pressure, while Bayern had plenty of space to counterattack. Leroy Sane squandered a golden opportunity to put the result beyond doubt in the 70th minute when his last pass wasn’t strong enough to give Kingsley Coman a free kick on target.
The visitors continued to be dangerous in dead-ball situations, as Ramos tested Sommer again after a Lionel Messi corner in the 82nd minute.
Bayern finally killed the game moments later when Serge Gnabry finished off a counterattack through Joao Cancelo to make it 2-0.
The German champions record went ahead and even had another Sadio Mane effort scored in the closing stages.
“We made some mistakes in the first half, but after the restart, we defended well and were patient. I think we were the better team in the second half and got a deserved win,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said.
