Paris Saint-Germain were a goal up and two men down, deep into stoppage time, when they went on one last run of hundreds here. Suddenly, as had happened so many times in a breathless afternoon in Atlanta, the pitch opened up and players poured into the space. They should have been exhausted, but off went Vitinha through the middle, Ousmane Dembélé sprinting alongside and soon joined by more men. He smashed the bar with the first shot but Achraf Hakimi got possession back, dribbled through three and set up the Frenchman to score the goal that ended it.
Actually, “ended” may not be the word, because although that was the 95th minute, there was still time for Bayern Munich to have a penalty given and taken away again. Ultimately, though, by adding to Désiré Doué’s 78th-minute opener, Dembélé had secured PSG’s passage to the Club World Cup semi-finals. Bayern were out. Worse, they had watched Jamal Musiala carried off at half-time, unlikely to return for a long time having suffered a suspected broken ankle in a challenge from Gianluigi Donnarumma who, seeing the grim sight, was close to tears.
That gave a sour, sad note to a match that overflowed with enthusiasm in which the players gave generously, one always open to anything happening, as the coaches had predicted. We will have less of the ball than normal, Luis Enrique said; so will we, Vincent Kompany added. Bayern’s manager called them teams with “extreme principles”, and so it was: a meeting of intensity and intent, a frenetic game of rob and rob back where the roars from the stands had a bit of “He’s behind you” about them and the running was relentless.
Passes were misplaced but not for lack of quality – quite the opposite – but the speed at which it all happened. They had been playing just three minutes when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia robbed Michael Olise for Doué to shoot wide, and just four when Hakimi – the right-back, remember – almost stole the ball from Josip Stanisic in his own six-yard box. If this was what they predicted, it was a riot, blows traded. Not like heavyweights, but something faster, the combinations too quick to see coming, a kind of organised chaos.
On 18 minutes, Bradley Barcola released Hakimi and he dashed off to deliver to the far post, where Kvaratskhelia hit the side netting. Nineteen seconds later, there was another roar as it looked like Kingsley Coman would escape at the other end. PSG closed that quickly, but the speed with which it had happened, from one attack to another, told a tale. PSG’s pass completion was at 76%, way below normal levels, but there was no reduction of their threat; no reduction of Bayern’s either.
Fabián Ruiz fired over the first half’s best chance at one end. Donnarumma saved from Olise at the other. And then Manuel Neuer produced a brilliant stop from Kvaratskhelia, who had driven almost to the line. More followed. Harry Kane headed over a Coman cross before Donnarumma stopped from Aleksandar Pavlovic and Dayot Upamecano’s header was ruled out for offside, PSG holding the line and their nerve.
This had been brilliant, and then just on half-time it went bad. Diving at the byline, Donnarumma went through Musiala, whose left ankle turned. The forward was left in a heap, a silence falling and a crowd forming; the goalkeeper was left crouched by his line wearing a lost look. As they went off at half-time, he didn’t know what to do with himself. In the second period he was booed, some supporters blaming him, even if his opponents didn’t.
The game went on, the momentum maintained. PSG should have led when Barcola raced clear but as he opened up his body Neuer got a glimpse of his intentions and made another hugely impressive save. Play tilted Bayern’s way, if that meant anything, given how quickly everything could switch, a moment’s clarity in the chaos. An example came on the hour when an outrageous 70-yard diagonal from Nuno Mendes that you actually heard set Doué away.
Ousmane Dembélé fires home Paris Saint-Germain’s second goal in stoppage time. Photograph: S Mellar/FC Bayern/Getty Images
Olise then lifted a great chance over the near post. As if this wasn’t open enough, with 20 minutes remaining on came Dembélé and immediately left Olise in his dust. He also might have scored when Neuer hit a pass straight at Kvaratskhelia near the area. Bayern’s keeper lunged desperately at the Georgian’s feet but Dembélé nipped past and, with the goal unguarded, rolled the ball into the side netting.
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Every moment carried a threat. Heading into the final minutes, every threat could be decisive too. The one that broke the deadlock started with a robbery. Kane was the man caught this time and there was Vitinha dashing forward. João Neves turned superbly and found Doué, who cut the shot in at the near post, Neuer slipping as he tried to adjust.
Four minutes later, Pacho was sent off for a foul on Leon Goretzka. Kane then had an equaliser ruled out before Hernández put victory in danger with an act of stupidity, sent off for elbowing Guerreiro, only for Dembélé to double the lead.
Still Bayern came and thought they had a penalty when Mendes appeared to catch Thomas Müller in the head, only for Anthony Taylor to be sent to his pitchside monitor, deciding that Mendes touched the ball on to Bayern player’s head and didn’t foul him. The final seconds slipped away and it is PSG who are heading to the semi-final in New York.
