The opening 45 minutes of this 2025/26 UEFA Champions League semi-final was a relentless display of attacking football, featuring five goals, a VAR-overturned decision, and a high-stakes penalty in the final seconds of stoppage time.
The Early Exchange
The drama began early when Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane continued his "inevitable" form, slotting home a penalty in the 17th minute after Willian Pacho brought down Luis Díaz. However, the reigning champions PSG refused to be rattled. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leveled the score in the 24th minute with a sensational solo run and a clinical far-post finish that ignited the home crowd.
The Neves and Olise Fireworks
The momentum swung back to Paris in the 33rd minute when young Portuguese sensation João Neves escaped his marker to head home an Ousmane Dembélé cross, putting PSG ahead for the first time. Not to be outdone, Bayern’s Michael Olise silenced the stadium in the 41st minute with a thunderous long-range strike from outside the area that rifled past Matvey Safonov to make it 2-2.
Stoppage Time Drama
Just as it seemed the teams would go into the break level, a late VAR intervention changed the course of the match. In the fourth minute of added time, the referee awarded PSG a penalty for a handball against Alphonso Davies. Ousmane Dembélé stepped up under immense pressure and powered the ball past Manuel Neuer to restore PSG’s lead.