Nine-man PSG beat Bayern in CWC quarters amid Musiala injury shock

Qatar Tribune

3 days ago

DPA
Atlanta (Georgia)
Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in a fierce Club World Cup quarter-final overshadowed by a suspected severe leg injury of Bayern's Jamal Musiala on Saturday.
Desire Doue opened the scoring into the bottom right corner in the 78th after Harry Kane lost the ball, six weeks after also shining with two goals in the 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Substitute Ousmane Dembele wrapped up matters deep into stoppage time, after the French champions had lost Willian Pacho for a reckless challenge against Leon Goretzka in the 81st, and Lucas Hernandez earlier in stoppage time for elbowing Raphael Guerreiro.
Kane headed home in the 87th but was offside, and substitute Thomas Müller could also not help in what was his final Bayern game after 25 years at the club with dozens of titles and icon status.
Musiala meanwhile suffered a suspected left leg fracture, according to dpa sources, in a scramble for the ball with Pancho and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on the last play of the first half.
Players from both sides looked distraught as German international Musiala, who was making his first start since a muscle injury sustained three months ago, was stretchered off the pitch.
While Bayern's campaign is now over, PSG move on into a semi-final against record Champions League winners Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who complete the quarter-finals later Saturday in a rematch of last year's European final.
'Moments decide these games, you win or you lose. We never gave up but that's football,' Bayern midfielder Konrad Laimer told streaming portal DAZN.
Looking at the Musiala injury, he said: 'It hurts a lot to lose a player like him. You could see in the first half what a fantastic player he is.'
Muller said: 'It is brutally bitter. We are not robots, we have personal relationships. I wish him a good recovery.'
He also suggested that it will take a while for him to realise that his Bayern career is now over for good: 'It is a very strange situation. You expect to go back to the hotel to approach the next round and now to have to pack your suitcases.'
PSG had the first chance when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won the ball in Bayern's half and Doué aimed wide left from a distance.
Donnarumma needed a full-stretch serve against Michael Olise's attempt from a right angle in the 26th, and Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer was called into action five minutes later when he stuck out his left arm against a shot from Kvaratskhelia who had burst into the Bayern area from the left.
But Bayern remained dangerous as Harry Kane headed over and Donnarumma needed another big save against Aleksandar Pavlovic's goal bound ball which was just missed by Musiala.
The ball was in PSG's net from Dayot Upamecano's header off a free kick, but the defender was offside shortly before the end of the half which ended tragically with the Musiala injury.
Bradley Barcola forced Neuer to another big save shortly after the restart, but the Bayern keeper then almost gifted PSG the lead in the 74th.
Neuer came out of his penalty area but his clearance hit Kvaratskhelia, the ball bounced to Dembelé, who had come on a little earlier, but with Neuer sliding in he aimed his shot inches wide.
However, PSG were finally ahead in the 78th when they attacked down the right after Kane lost the ball, with Doué drilling home from the edge of the area and Neuer stranded.
That ignited a turbulent finale in which Pancho first got his marching orders, Kane's header was disallowed, Hernandez was also dismissed, Dembele clinched matters seconds after hitting the crossbar, and Bayern had a very late penalty nullified upon review.