PSG Beats Bayern Munich In Historic UCL Semifinal 1st Leg as Fans React to 9-Goal Instant Classic

Paris Saint-Germain toppled Bayern Munich in a stunning 5-4 victory on Tuesday night, with both teams attacking relentlessly to play out the highest-scoring semifinal match in Champions League history.

Bayern came back from 5-2 down to keep next week's return leg against the defending champions alive after previously scoring the first goal.

Ousmane Dembele's second of the night turned out to be the winner, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's brace and Joao Neves adding to the total. Harry Kane had given Bayern the lead, with Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz also scoring for the Bundesliga champions.

PSG's defensive issues came to the fore after a frantic quarter of an hour. Olise's ball found Diaz in the box, and as the Colombian prepared to shoot, William Pacho mistimed his tackle to concede a penalty. Kane stepped up to slide home his 13th Champions League goal in 12 matches this season.

It should have been 2-0 moments later. Kane's pass cut through PSG's backline, but Olise was unable to finish from close range.

PSG punished Bayern shortly after. The brilliant Kvaratskhelia, who ran Chelsea and Liverpool ragged in the previous rounds, cut inside before finishing beyond Manuel Neuer for 1-1.

Both sets of wingers played incisively in the first half. Olise continued to tease Nuno Mendes, once again bursting into the box before hitting the post with an effort that was suffocated out by multiple defenders. The punch-for-punch nature of the game meant Bayern would soon be punished again for the miss.

Dembele's corner found Neves, a tiny presence in the box, who found space to head beyond Neuer. 

Olise's hard work was rewarded eight minutes later. The France star latched onto Diaz's pass in a central position before hammering beyond Matvei Safonov. 

A breathless first half didn't end there. Dembele's cross hit Alphonso Davies on the arm, and after VAR intervention, the home side were fortuitously awarded a penalty.

There was little the Canadian defender could do to get out the way, but it mattered not: moments later Dembele wheeled away in celebration for 3-2 to conclude a half that drew quite a response on social media.

It took just five minutes of the second half for the first flashpoint to arise. Kvaratskhelia sprinted into the box and went down under pressure from the nearest defender. No penalty was called after the Georgian was deemed to have gone down softly after kicking Upamecano's foot.

Kvaratskhelia would soon have his chance to make up for it. Achraf Hakimi found himself free on the right, his cross falling to the 25-year-old to finish beyond Neuer.

Two minutes after Kvaratskhelia's goal, Dembele delivered a hammer blow, smashing a shot off Neuer's post and into the net for 5-2.

An unlikely scorer would step up next to get Bayern back into the tie. Upamecano floated into space to nod home Joshua Kimmich's cross, sucking a little air out of the buoyant home crowd.

It soon got even better for Bayern, who looked down and out just 10 minutes before. Kane dropped deep all night, this time picking up the ball and slinging a cutting pass towards Diaz. The former Liverpool man twisted and turned before lashing in to get the visitors within one goal.

It stayed that way until the end of a game that goes down as an instant classic, as fans celebrated the open nature of two sides playing fast-paced, attacking football.

While PSG will be happy with the win, taking a three-goal lead to Germany would have been one foot in the final. As it stands, next week feels like it could go either way.

Atletico Madrid host Arsenal in Wednesday's second semifinal, a game of two defensive teams that will take an awful lot to impress as much as this stunning display in the French capital.