On Wednesday, May 6, in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final (Paris Saint-Germain won the first leg 5-4), Paris Saint-Germain will face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: João Pinheiro (38 years old). He has a growing experience, though not a Champions League veteran, with 14 matches under his belt.
The referee will be assisted by Mihai Marica, Ferencz Tunyogi, and François Boudikian. The fourth official will be João Pedro Silva Pinheiro. Video assistant referees (VARs) will be Dennis Johan Higler, Catalin Sorin Popa, and Paulus van Boekel.
Yellow Cards –
With Mr. Pinheiro as referee, we can expect yellow cards to be issued very quickly during the match. Indeed, while the French average per match is 3.53 (standard deviation of 0.39), the referee of the semi-final has averaged 3.71 yellow cards per match throughout his Champions League career (Transfermarkt figures). This is high, but rather low for the Champions League; let’s hope that dialogue is prioritized and that the match remains free of tension.
Direct Red Cards –
The referee of the semi-final is much less strict when it comes to direct red cards. In fact, Pinheiro averages 0.07 dismissals per match in his career, while the French average per match is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). This suggests a more controlled approach, rather than resorting to excessive punishment.
Second Yellow Cards –
João Pinheiro doesn’t typically send off a player after their first yellow card in a match, as he has given a second yellow card to the same player an average of 0.07 times per game. This is lower than the French average of 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03). The high number of yellow cards initially reinforces the idea of issuing a second yellow card to calm tempers.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the referee who will officiate the final is significantly lower than average, awarding 0.14 penalties per game, while the Ligue 1 average is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
History –
Pinheiro has never refereed PSG:
Twice Bayern Munich, with two wins: 3-1 (2024-2025 league season) against Slovan Bratislava and 1-2 against PSV Eindhoven (2025-2026 league season).
