Champions League: Mbappe can’t catch break as PSG loses third straight

The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League season resumed for the first time in three months Tuesday.

It was worth the wait.

In a pair of marquee, first-leg, round of 16 games, German champ Bayern Munich upset star-studded Paris Saint-Germain — which started the match without Kylian Mbappé, who just returned from injury — 1-0 in the French capital, while Italy’s AC Milan beat English visitor Tottenham Hotspur by the same score.

Here are three quick thoughts on Tuesday’s games:

Mbappé, Messi can’t halt PSG’s tailspin

Led not just by global superstars Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar, but a squad of other all-planet talents behind them, the Parisian’s roster is the envy of the soccer world. Yet PSG has been less than the sum of its parts this campaign, and especially since the World Cup break between mid-November and the end of last year.

So it was again against Bayern on Tuesday. As he did when these teams met in the Champions League final in 2020, Paris native Kingsley Coman scored the winner in the second half, this time off a cross from Alphonso Davies.

It was PSG’s third straight defeat; they entered Tuesday’s contest having dropped consecutive matches in Ligue 1. Messi still isn’t back in top form a month after his well-deserved break following Argentina’s World Cup triumph, and he sat out Saturday’s loss to Monaco with a sore knee. And Mbappe, whose French side the Albiceleste beat in the final in Qatar, hadn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury on Feb. 1.  

Messi was mostly ineffective against Bayern while Mbappé returned but entered off the bench early in the second half. And while he didn’t look at all hobbled, Mbappé still wasn’t able to claw back an equalizer for the hosts at the Parc des Princes. Mbappé’s best scoring opportunity came when he broke in alone on keeper Yann Sommer in the 72nd minute, but a heavy touch enabled Sommer to race off his line to snuff out the chance.

Mbappé appeared to have put a dramatic equalizer past Sommer from the doorstep moments later, but upon review the video assistant referee correctly determined that the forward was just barely offside:

The truth is that PSG didn’t deserve even a draw in this one. The loss puts them on the brink of elimination. For a club that covets European glory above all else, the performance didn’t inspire much confidence that this year will end happily.

AC Milan’s win puts pressure on Tottenham 

Seven-time European champ AC Milan hasn’t advanced as far as the quarterfinals of the Champions League since 2012, but they took a huge step toward the last eight with Tuesday’s victory at the San Siro.

Brahim Díaz gave the hosts an early lead following a blistering shot by Theo Hernández that was well saved by Fraser Forster, but Forster could only watch as Díaz converted his own rebound off the crossbar:

Meantime, Harry Kane & Co. only mustered three shots on target. Now Antonio Conte’s team must win the rematch in London two weeks from now, either by multiple goals over the opening 90 minutes, or eke by in extra time or penalties. If not, Tottenham — which didn’t qualify for the competition the last two years and is in danger of missing out next year, too — will be eliminated in the round of 16 for the second time since reaching the final in 2019.

Drama awaits in decisive matches 

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Tuesday’s slate is that both contests were decided by a single goal. As much as Bayern dominated in Paris — they had twice as many shots as the home side’s nine (including a 7-4 advantage on-frame) plus 54% of possession — they couldn’t find the backbreaking second goal.

With its three-headed attacking monster of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé up top, PSG is probably the last team in the world you want to leave hanging around. All three stars can win a game on their own. Mbappé was oh-so-close to leveling this one; two weeks from now he’ll be that much fitter. He’s determined to add a Champions League title to the World Cup crown he won with Les Bleus in 2018 and forever cement his legacy with his hometown team, which has never captured Europe’s biggest prize.

Don’t think Mbappé has forgotten that it was Bayern that beat PSG in the 2020 final. With the slimmest possible lead, the Germans have the edge heading into the second leg, especially at home. But even for a PSG team off to a rocky 2023, it’s hardly an insurmountable disadvantage.

The same goes for Spurs. While resurgent Milan deserved its win, closing the deal on the road won’t be easy. As good as the Rossoneri was at limiting Kane on Tuesday, the English forward doesn’t need many chances to score. Surely he’ll get a few more looks in front of his home crowd. If Conte’s star man can level the aggregate early, Spurs might just have enough momentum to complete the comeback.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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