In Germany, only positive sounds can be heard after Bayern Munich’s 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain. The team of trainer Julian Nagelsmann was also too strong three weeks earlier in the Parc des Princes with 0-1, so that the record master sovereign managed to push through to the quarterfinals. The fact that Bayern did not concede a goal in 180 minutes against the star ensemble of the French superpower was partly due to Matthijs de Ligt.
The center defender claimed a leading role on Wednesday evening by sliding a bet from Vitinha off the goal line after shooting at Yann Sommer. BILD describes De Ligt’s action as a ‘world-class save’ and receives the highest possible rating. “What a rescue that was!” Nagelsmann Dayot Upamecano also received a 1 rating. In Germany, ratings from 1 to 6 are handed out, with 1 being very good and 6 severely unsatisfactory. Upamecano is mainly praised for an action in which he managed to stop Kylian Mbappé in a ‘sensational way’. “He left no room for his compatriot,” it sounds.
DELICIOUS! What a rescue from Matthijs de Ligt, who helps goalkeeper Yann Sommer out of trouble. #UCL #BAYPSG pic.twitter.com/lcS6MZDXfp
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) March 8, 2023
Also SPOX is full of praise for De Ligt’s performance. “His facial expression after the save on the goal line certainly had meme potential. But the former Juventus defender was also the absolute sheriff at the Allianz Arena. It was precisely performances like this in these big games that led Bayern to bring him to Germany. It was a insane act.” Mbappé has to pay for it. “He was eaten by Josip Stanisic and fell further every second. Mbappé was unable to create a decent chance.”
‘Mann oder Maschine?’, Bayern’s Twitter account hurled into the world after De Ligt’s action. According to Sports1 the Dutchman was ‘hard as nails in every duel’. “Especially against Messi. A flawless performance.” The sports channel gives a rating of 1.5. Special attention is also paid to Leon Goretzka, who is hailed as a ‘mentality monster’ in midfield. The midfielder was important, among other things, with his assist on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s opening goal. “He received applause for his actions. This Goretzka is worth its weight in gold,” writes Sports1.
Reaction De Ligt
De Ligt beamed from ear to ear afterwards with the placement for the quarterfinals. “It was an important moment in the game,” he reflected on his action. “I was alert and always keep in mind that my teammates can lose the ball. I was ready and luckily he didn’t shoot hard enough so I could make the save. This gives a lot of confidence and I think we showed today see what kind of team we can be. Tonight was very good. When you win against a team like PSG, that is very good.”