Kvaratskhelia and Dembele bag braces as PSG edge Bayern 5-4 in Champions League semi-final thriller

PARIS, France (AFP) — Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele each found the net twice on Tuesday as Paris Saint-Germain edged Bayern Munich 5-4 in a remarkable opening leg of their Champions League semi-final, setting a new record for the highest-scoring fixture ever staged at this round of the tournament.

The opening 45 minutes were chaotic. Harry Kane converted a spot-kick to put Bayern in front, but Kvaratskhelia drew the hosts level before Joao Neves nodded PSG ahead in front of a captivated Parc des Princes crowd. Michael Olise then restored parity at 2-2, only for Dembele to convert a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time and send the French champions in at the break with a slim lead.

Kvaratskhelia, arguably the standout performer of this Champions League campaign, struck again after the restart, with Dembele following up to seemingly put PSG out of reach. Dayot Upamecano then pulled one back for Bayern, and Luis Diaz reduced the gap further to leave the scoreline at 5-4.

The enthralling encounter — which some have already rated above last season's Inter Milan versus Barcelona semi-final — sets up a finely balanced return fixture next Wednesday at the Allianz Arena, where a spot in the final in Budapest on May 30 will be at stake.

"I'm sure everyone who loves football really enjoyed watching that. It was a real pleasure to play in that game, the kind of game we dream of playing in as kids," PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.

The Parisians head to Munich — where they overcame Inter 5-0 to lift last year's trophy — holding the lead, though Bayern will fancy their chances of clawing back a one-goal deficit at home.

"We fought and we clawed and we're back in the tie," Kane told Amazon Prime. "I thought there was amazing defending even though there were nine goals."

PSG are chasing the distinction of becoming only the second club in the modern Champions League era to defend the title, while Bayern are aiming for their first final appearance since 2020, when they overcame PSG to claim a sixth European crown.

— Instant classic —

Vincent Kompany's side travelled to Paris having amassed 167 goals across the season, spearheaded by Kane's stunning return of 53 strikes in 45 outings. After Bayern's eye-catching quarter-final dismantling of Real Madrid, expectations were sky high — and the contest delivered, with both sides putting their attacking quality on full display.

Bayern broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Willian Pacho fouled Diaz, and Kane stepped up to slot home for his 54th goal of the term. The Germans had won 2-1 in Paris back in November during the league phase courtesy of a Diaz double, and they once again controlled the early exchanges.

Their attacking approach, however, left them exposed on the break, and PSG drew level shortly after the half-hour mark. Kvaratskhelia surged past Josip Stanisic on the left flank, cut inside and curled a finish into the far corner — a signature effort. Neves then powered home a Dembele corner in the 33rd minute to put the hosts ahead.

The drama was far from finished. Olise charged towards the PSG penalty area and unleashed a strike to make it 2-2. Just before the interval, PSG were awarded a penalty when a Dembele delivery struck the arm of Alphonso Davies — the Canadian making his first Champions League start of the season following an injury layoff. Following a VAR review, Swiss official awarded the spot-kick, and Dembele beat Manuel Neuer to give PSG a 3-2 cushion at the break.

The lead was extended after half-time, leaving Bayern reeling. Achraf Hakimi teed up Kvaratskhelia for 4-2 in the 56th minute, the Georgian notching his seventh goal in as many knockout-stage matches. Before Bayern could regroup, Dembele caught Neuer off guard with a shot inside the near post to make it 5-2.

The visitors refused to fold. Upamecano rose to meet a Joshua Kimmich free-kick, taking Bayern's seasonal tally to 170 goals. Diaz, who saw red in the November meeting, then beat Marquinhos with some neat footwork before slotting home to set the final score at 5-4.

Kompany, forced to watch from the stands due to a suspension, will have been pleased with his team's resilience — though they were grateful when a late effort from Senny Mayulu rebounded off Neuer's crossbar.