PSG vs Bayern: “Without him, no semi-final” – Nigerian star defends Neuer

Nigerian football star Asisat Oshoala has reacted to Manuel Neuer’s performance in Bayern Munich’s 5–4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg, Soccernet.ng reports.

Both sides met for the second time this season and produced a classic European night at the Parc des Princes with a nine-goal thriller, which also set a new record for the most goals scored in a Champions League semifinal match.

Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern, before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and João Neves turned the game around for PSG. Bayern responded through Michael Olise, but a penalty from Ousmane Dembele ensured PSG went into the break leading.

The second half was also an end-to-end contest as PSG extended their advantage, with Kvaratskhelia and Dembele both completing their braces. However, Bayern refused to give up and they scored twice through Dayot Upamecano and Luis Díaz to set up a tense finish heading into next week’s second leg.

Oshoala defends Neuer’s performance

During the entertaining encounter at the Parc des Princes, Asisat Oshoala took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who endured a difficult outing in goal.

The 40-year-old conceded five goals from five shots on target and failed to make a single save, becoming the first goalkeeper in the past 16 Champions League seasons to concede five or more goals in a knockout game without recording a save.

Despite that, Oshoala suggested the veteran should not be judged harshly, stating his importance to Bayern’s run to the semifinals.

Neuer played a key role in Bayern’s quarter-final victory over Real Madrid, especially in the first leg where he produced a standout performance. The Spanish side could have taken control of the tie, but Neuer made nine saves in the clash and earned the man of the match honours.

All to play for in second leg

The defeat to PSG marked Bayern’s second defeat in this season’s Champions League and they will now need to regroup quickly ahead of the return leg.

While we might not see a repeat of this historic nine-goal thriller, next week’s clash at the Allianz Arena still promises to be another entertaining matchup, with both teams expected to rely heavily on their attacking quality despite defensive concerns.

The winner on aggregate will advance to the final in Budapest on May 30, where they will face either Arsenal or Atlético Madrid.