Kim on target as Bayern pile on Champions League misery for misfiring PSG
Paris Saint-Germain’s dreams of Champions League glory suffered a double blow on Tuesday night when they went down 1-0 at Bayern Munich and also lost star striker Ousmane Dembélé for their next game in the group stages after he was sent off.
Min-Jae Kim nodded in Bayern’s goal just before half-time at the Allianz Arena following a blunder from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
The 25-year-old Russian, preferred to the Italy international Gigi Donnarumma, failed to catch Joshua Kimmich’s corner kick and dropped the ball just in front of Kim who gleefully accepted the present.
Dembelé, who picked up a yellow card in the first period, was given his marching orders 12 minutes into the second-half after mistiming a challenge on the Bayern defender Alphonso Davies.
Despite the advantage, Bayern failed to double their lead. But the slender victory took them to 11th in the 36-team league and into the 16 places for a two-leg play-off for the last-16 knockout stages.
PSG’s third defeat in five games leaves them with four points and in 26th position. Enrique’s men next play in the competition at RB Salzburg on 10 December.
Blow
Champions League debutants Brest lost their first game of the campaign at Barcelona but still remain well placed to finish among the eight teams who qualify automatically for the knockout stages.
The tie at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys was billed as a clash of the extremes. Barcelona – six-time champions with a squad oozing 950 million euros worth of talent – pitted against a band of journeymen collectively valued at 121 million euros.
Barcelona took the lead through a Robert Lewandowski penalty in the 10th minute. It was the veteran Pole’s 100th goal in the Champions League.
Dani Olmos doubled the score mid way through the second-half and Lewandowski notched up number 101 in stoppage time. The 3-0 win lifted Barcelona to second with 12 points and Brest fell from fourth to ninth.
Elsewhere in the competition, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa both bagged a brace as Atletico Madrid walloped Sparta Prague 6-0. Former France international Antoine Griezmann and Marcos Llorente were also on the scoresheet.
The victory took Diego Simeone’s side up to 13th. AC Milan lie one place below the Spaniards following their 3-2 success at Slovan Bratislava.
Inter Milan lead the table following a 1-0 win at the San Siro over RB Leipzig.
Manchester City ended a run a five consecutive defeats in all competitions. They drew 3-3 with Feyenoord after leading the Dutch outfit 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining.
In Lisbon, Arsenal walloped Sporting Portugal 5-1 and at the Stadion Wankdorf in Berne, Atalanta went one better. They demolished Young Boys 6-1.
Belgium international Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and set up three goals in the rout which pushed the Italians into fourth spot.