Knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain (4-5, 1-1) on Wednesday in the Champions League semi-finals, Bayern Munich have complained about several unfavourable refereeing decisions. In this second leg, two incidents have caused quite a stir.
Bayern Munich are struggling to come to terms with it… On Wednesday, the German club were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain (4-5, 1-1) in the Champions League semi-finals.
Whilst acknowledging the qualities of the reigning European champions, the Munich side are unhappy with several unfavourable refereeing decisions.
The Mendes incident and Neves’ handball are causing a stir…
Firstly, Bayern cannot understand why Paris Saint-Germain left-back Nuno Mendes was not sent off as early as the 29th minute. Having been shown a yellow card early in the match, the Portuguese international should have received a second booking for stopping an opposition counter-attack with his hand. But referee Joao Pinheiro, misled by his assistant, spared the Parisian by signalling a non-existent handball by Konrad Laimer beforehand. “As far as the referee’s decisions are concerned, there is cause for protest. Nuno Mendes should have received a second booking and therefore been sent off in his challenge with Laimer,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told the press.
Six minutes later, the Munich side also protested over a handball by Joao Neves in the box. This time, the referee and VAR, in accordance with IFAB rules, made the correct decision. However, this incident has fuelled Bayern’s frustration following the penalty awarded to PSG in the first leg… “In Paris, there was no penalty for Alphonso Davies’ handball. Anyone who’s played a bit of football knows full well that wasn’t the right decision,” lamented Kompany.
Dreesen takes a dig at Pinheiro
Even without using the refereeing as an excuse for their elimination, Bayern clearly have regrets. And the appointment of Pinheiro, who has little experience on the European stage, for such a high-profile fixture still grates with the Bavarians. “It is surprising, to say the least, that a referee who has only officiated 15 times in the Champions League is allowed to take charge of such a match. That might explain some of his decisions…”, said Munich’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. A real disappointment for Bayern.
PSG: on course for a second star
As impressive as ever, Paris Saint-Germain got the better of Bayern Munich (5-4, 1-1) in the Champions League semi-final. As defending champions, the capital club is openly dreaming of back-to-back Champions League titles.
Will Paris Saint-Germain win a second consecutive Champions League title? On 30 May, the capital club will defend their title in the final against Arsenal in Budapest.
Having beaten Bayern Munich (5-4, 1-1) in the semi-finals on Wednesday, the Parisians took the time to savour their journey so far.
Parisian joy
Since coach Luis Enrique took charge of the Parisian side in 2023, PSG have simply established themselves as the most consistent team in Europe. Knocked out in the semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund (0-1, 0-1) in 2024, winners in 2025 and runners-up in 2026, Paris can take pride in this consistency at the highest level. “It’s magnificent. Two finals in a row, it’s magnificent,” said Parisian president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi on Canal+. “Now we’re off to Hungary to go for the second star. I was speaking to the players; I told them we don’t have players, we have warriors. (…) We’re dreaming of that second star with this magnificent team. The star is the team.”
At a press conference, Luis Enrique also highlighted the standard Paris have set over the last three years. “The strongest team of my career? It’s hard to say. Over the last three years, they’ve been the strongest team in my opinion. They are quality players, very difficult for the opposition to deal with and to defend against. I would remind you that we haven’t yet been able to field the same starting line-up as in the Champions League final. It’s a shame, but at the same time, it shows what kind of team we are and the players we have,” the Spaniard emphasised.
Victory as the sole objective
Given the challenge posed by Bayern in this high-quality semi-final, PSG have understandably taken the time to savour the moment. However, the job isn’t done yet, with the final against Arsenal still to come. “It’s another dream come true: playing in a Champions League final again… Now we’re going to celebrate as a team, we’re going to enjoy this moment, but we’re staying humble. There’s still work to be done, in Ligue 1 too,” warned attacking midfielder Désiré Doué. Paris have a second star to win…
