Neymar hits post, crossbar and is denied by brilliant Manuel Neuer – but Paris Saint-Germain get past Bayern Munich in pulsating Champions League tie
Neymar missed a hatful of chances as Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich at the Parc-des-Princes.
But fortunately for the Brazilian, who was at his very best in the Champions League clash, it didn’t cost his team a place in the semi-finals as they advanced thanks to the away goal rule.
The tie finished 3-3 on aggregate but PSG advance to the last four on away goals
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Neymar could have scored SIX goals, having hit the crossbar, the post and was also denied by the excellent Manuel Neuer on multiple occasions.
Neuer blocked a close-range effort from the PSG star on nine minutes before turning his low strike above the bar after Kylian Mbappe teed Neymar up.
Neymar then produced a number of spell-binding stepovers before his curling left-footed shot was excellently kept out by the German.
Neymar finally beat Neuer on 31 minutes but his delightful shot hit the bar. He got the ball past his opponent again but the this time it hit the post.
The only goal of the match was scored moments after Neymar poked the ball onto the post as Robert Lewandowski’s stand-in, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting levelled the aggregate scores.
Choupo-Moting headed in on the rebound after Keylor Navas could only parry David Alaba’s effort up in the air.
Choupo-Moting’s scrappy goal put Bayern to within a goal of reaching the semi-finals
But Bayern needed a second having lost the first leg 3-2 at the Allianz Arena and had plenty of chances to get it.
Both Leroy Sane and David Alaba had their fair share of opportunities, while Navas did well to deny Thomas Muller in the second half.
But PSG always looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Mbappe thought he’d put the tie beyond any doubt as he fired into the roof of the net, but the Frenchman was offside.
Neymar had one more chance in the second half and this was arguably the best of the lot. Angel Di Maria did brilliantly to produce a low cross with Neuer nowhere but Neymar couldn’t get any contact on the ball as he slid in.
It was so agonising it was likened to Paul Gascoigne’s miss against Germany at Euro 96 by talkSPORT’s Ian Danter, who was commentating on the clash.
All it needed was a touch and Neymar would have got the goal he deserved
On another night, PSG and Neymar would have been punished for their lack of composure but they held on and successfully exacted revenge on the side that beat them in last season’s final.
PSG will face the winner of the Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund tie, with the second leg of that being played tomorrow night, LIVE on talkSPORT.