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The unsung heroes behind PSG and Bayern Munich's record-breaking nine-goal UCL thriller

Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano. Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

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The unsung heroes behind PSG and Bayern Munich's record-breaking nine-goal UCL thriller

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Apr 28, 2026 6:04 PM ET

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Sometimes, international soccer throws up a game so wild, so breathless and so baffling that all you can do is sit back and take it in. Analysis fails. Tactics fall apart. Experts turn slack-jawed; pundits scream themselves hoarse.

That was the case in the first leg of Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich's Champions League semifinal on Tuesday, April 28. PSG won the match 5-4 in the end, but it could've won it 10-4 or lost it 5-10 just as easily, too. It was the highest scoring semifinal in 71 years of Champions League history.

The goals are much of the story, and rightfully so: Attackers Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Michael Olise and Harry Kane lit this semifinal up with their strikes. But the brilliance of this match came from so much more than just the scoreline. Here are the four players who made this match tick — often from just outside the spotlight:

Dayot Upamecano, DEF - Bayern Munich

For long stretches of this insane, mind-boggling nine-goal thriller, French center back Dayot Upamecano looked like the only player interested in playing any sort of defense at all. He led the match in interceptions and was instrumental in keeping Bayern competitive against the odds. When PSG surged to a 5-2 lead at the start of the second half, it was Upamecano who steadied Bayern's defensive ship; when Bayern needed to score a goal of its own to snatch momentum back, it was Upamecano who turned up to make it happen, netting his first career goal in the tournament.

Upamecano occupies a strange place in the hearts of Bayern and France supporters. He's clearly world-class on a game-by-game basis, but he's destroyed a lot of trust by erring on big stages. He fell apart against Manchester City in the 2022-23 Champions League quarterfinals and was singularly responsible for Bayern's elimination at its hands. Watching Upamecano excel defensively — and spark a goalscoring comeback while he was at it — felt like watching him shake off those ghosts and step into a better version of himself. What a way to do it.

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Joao Neves, MID - PSG

There are many candidates for Goal of the Match on offer in this game, from Olise's screamer to Luis Diaz's one-on-one masterpiece. But no goal felt more absurd or more punch-drunk than Joao Neves' unexpected header in the first half. Why? Because Joao Neves is 5-foot-9 tall and the fact that he got his head on anything is a miracle in and of itself. Let his go-ahead goal stand as ironclad proof that good headers are about technique, not size and that you leave a short man unmarked in your penalty box at your peril.

When he wasn't scoring unexpected headers against the run of play, Neves was quietly orchestrating this match from PSG's midfield. He led the match in defensive contributions while setting up his teammates for key moves on the break. He was utterly brilliant, and he's set to be a terror for Portugal at this summer's World Cup...whether he's marked on headers there or not.

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Luis Diaz, FOR - Bayern Munich

Great attacking play is about so much more than goals. It requires lung-busting speed, fearless hold-up work and a militant approach to one-on-one duels, too. So yes, Luis Diaz capped off this game by scoring Bayerns fourth and final goal, but the true genius of his performance came from all the actions leading up to that moment, not the goal itself. He won 11 one-on-one duels against PSG's defenders — more duels than any other player on the field — and came away victorious from 76% of the clashes he participated in.

Matvei Safonov, GK - PSG

PSG was brilliant in this match, but it was surprisingly efficient, too: it scored five goals from five shots on target with ruthless precision. Bayern, meanwhile, threw the kitchen sink at PSG, and that means that Russian goalkeeper Safonov had an instrumental night despite conceding four goals in 90 minutes. He faced 10 shots, eight of which were on target, and his two key saves were the difference between PSG winning and losing this fixture.

Bayern Munich will host PSG in the second leg of this Champions League semifinal on Wednesday, May 6.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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