Bixente Lizarazu, former left-back for Bayern Munich and the French national team, spoke to L’Equipe after PSG’s 5-4 victory over the German club this Tuesday at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League semi-final (second leg on Wednesday, May 6).
Lizarazu: “We were close to seeing the match of the year!”
“How do you explain this match ending with such an incredible 9-goal scoreline?”
“We were close to seeing the match of the year! Regarding Bayern, there’s Vincent Kompany’s choice to attack and expose himself a lot. The first half was really like a boxing match. Each team traded blows.” In the second half, it might have been time to slow things down, but Bayern continued to take risks and expose themselves.
Certainly, it was fantastic for the spectacle, but it was rather naive considering PSG’s strengths and the talent of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé. At 5-2, I thought it was all over (for Bayern), but they found the resources. After such a storm, who comes back like that? They showed great mental strength at a time when Paris struggled more physically. Because Paris had more trouble finishing the match.
Lizarazu: “Bayern will do everything to make it an unbearable atmosphere for their opponent.”
What should Paris change in the return leg?
It will be at the Allianz Arena, and Bayern will do everything to make it an unbearable atmosphere for their opponent. It’s in defense that they need to tighten up, because they’ve suffered a lot. Offensively, they’re capable of causing so much damage… We’ll see how it unfolds, but with so much talent, anything can happen.
It will be up to Bayern to take the initiative. This favors PSG, given their counter-attacking style. Their forwards are very, very strong; they know how to be clinical. We also noticed that Paris wasn’t as dominant in midfield as usual. They controlled the tempo of the match a little less. I’ll echo Luis Enrique’s words: what will make the difference will surely be the defenses.
Lizarazu’s analysis highlights the real danger of the return leg: PSG mustn’t mistake advantage for security. At the Allianz Arena, Bayern will be obligated to attack, with the support of a stadium capable of turning every duel into a red alert. Paris will have space to exploit, that much is clear, but first they must overcome the emotional intensity of Bayern’s periods of dominance. After such a crazy 5-4 defeat, the trap would be to believe that attack alone can fix everything.
The Parisians struggled defensively, controlled the midfield less than usual, and finished with less physical presence. The return leg will therefore require a more composed, more compact team, capable of choosing its moments without getting caught up in the chaos. They will need to punish Bayern quickly and not miss any opportunities unnecessarily.
If Bayern must score, Paris must also do so to sow doubt. We expect a huge, difficult, physical, and tactically quite wild match. There will be gaps, and victory will go to the team that best protects them.
