There are nights in the Champions League when the game is too quick to process, when one goal doesn’t have time to settle before the other arrives, and this first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich was exactly in that category, a 5-4 result at the Parc des Princes that left most of the audience cheering and at least one prominent voice completely unconvinced.
a night that never ends
The scoreline alone tells part of the story, although it doesn’t reflect how quickly the match swung from one end to the other. Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 17 minutes, a routine finish that looked as if Bayern were on their way before the game had even started, which was less expected. Seven minutes later, Khvicha Kvaratskheliya equalized for PSG, and from there the rhythm of the evening changed completely, turning into an attacking sequence rather than a controlled contest.Before half-time, PSG got three more goals through Joao Neves, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele, while Vincent Kompany-coached Bayern responded through Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz to put themselves within 3–2 at the interval. The second half didn’t slow down; Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé scored the second to extend PSG’s lead to 5–2, only for Bayern to bounce back with late goals from Upamecano and Diaz, leaving the tie delicately poised ahead of the return leg at the Allianz Arena.
Why did most people like it?
For many watching, the appeal was obvious. The game swung constantly from one end to the other, chances came in clusters rather than individually, and the usual caution that defines this stage of the competition never took hold.The attacking performance was widely praised by pundits. Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, speaking on CBS, emphasized the balance between analysis and enjoyment, saying: “That game was not boring. And then, if you put on your professional hat, we need to analyze some aspects of the agreed goals. But you know what? I enjoyed myself and I think everyone at home enjoyed.” Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was even more emphatic, saying, “I don’t remember seeing a better game than this in my life. The pace and how it changed all the time from one end to the other was fantastic.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher focused on the level of attacking quality on display, saying, “Every attacking player on the pitch was eight or nine out of ten. And I think every attacking player was better than his counterpart.“
Piers Morgan has very different understandings of the same game
Morgan looked at the same nine goals and came to the opposite conclusion. Posting on X, he wrote: “Not proper football. Too aggressive. Leakier than a sieve. Arteta’s attacking arsenal would crush any of them.” It’s a deliberately sharp move, but it depends on a specific view of what high-level football should prioritise. By calling the game “more leaky than a sieve”, he was pointing to the defensive lapses that allowed so many goals to be scored, suggesting that both teams sacrificed structure for spectacle in a way that would have been punished by the more disciplined side. The reference to “Arteta’s attritional arsenal” brings that idea to mind. Under manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have leaned on a style built on control, where the emphasis is on managing space, maintaining possession, maintaining a compact defensive shape and slowly wearing down opponents rather than engaging in open exchanges. It is a way of playing that often produces tighter scorelines and less dramatic upsets, but is designed to minimize risk, especially in knockout football.
Fans and pundits push back
|That scene did not go down quietly. Reactions online were swift and many of them described Morgan’s move as unlike anything most people have ever seen.Fans immediately offered their thoughts on the journalist’s opinion, with reactions ranging from disappointment to outright disagreement.One fan said: “This is why Arsenal fans are universally hated – the only fans to moan about goals.”Another said: ‘Dude lives in a constantly delusional world. Tonight’s match will be a snooze-fest.”A third comment read: “Pierce calling Arsenal attrition is a big deal. Arteta’s players still spend half the match in second gear begging Saka to take them out.”Others rejected the criticism of high-scoring football altogether. One said: “I disagree. One of the best games ever in the Champions League. I’d much rather see a 5-4 game or a 3-3 game than a 1-0 game from Arsenal where they park the bus for the whole game.”
A contrast that will unfold in real time
The debate comes at a moment when Arsenal are preparing for their semi-final against Atletico Madrid, managed by Diego Simeone, a coach whose teams are often defined by the qualities Morgan is advocating: discipline, compactness and control over chaos. That encounter at the Metropolitano is expected to unfold in a much more measured manner against Bayern than against PSG, with fewer chances, tighter margins and a greater emphasis on tactical structure. Arsenal, chasing their first Champions League final since 2006, are heading into a match that will test whether a controlled approach can take them through.
