'What is the greatest UCL match?' PSG vs. Munich 9-goal thriller... Rooney harshly criticizes: "Did you even practice defense? It was neighborhood soccer level"

*This content was translated by AI.

While fans were thrilled by the 'war of stars' between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich, experts harshly criticized both teams' defensive capabilities.

British football specialist 'Planet Football' reported on the 30th (Korea time) that football experts did not recognize the 5-4 match between PSG and Munich as a classic, pointing out its subpar defensive performance.

PSG and Munich engaged in a goal-fest in the first leg of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL) semi-finals held at Parc des Princes in Paris, France, on the 29th, with PSG winning 5-4.

Fans cheered, calling it 'the best match of the UCL season this year' due to the wonder goals and fierce thriller featuring top-tier players like Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, Wayne Rooney took a different view. He directly refuted Harry Kane's praise for the Munich defense. Rooney stated, "Both teams' defenses were the worst. The lack of communication between defenders is clearly a coaching issue," criticizing both managers.

He then pointed out to PSG manager Luis Enrique that "in a 5-2 situation, they should have tightened their defense and seen out the match." To Vincent Kompany, the Munich manager, he snapped, "They showed immature defense at the level of neighborhood soccer."

Jamie Carragher offered a different opinion. Carragher said, "It wasn't defensive errors; the attackers completely overwhelmed the opposing defenders," and evaluated, "Their attacking power was so outstanding that they produced wonderful goals that were impossible to stop."

However, other experts also joined the criticism. Clarence Seedorf remarked, "Goalkeepers never welcome a match where they concede five goals," and named Arsenal, which has been on a scoreless run with solid defense, as a title contender. Former Celtic FC manager Neil Lennon downplayed the players' performances, stating, "The players' displays were ordinary." Former Birmingham defender Kenny Cunningham argued, "A match rife with defensive errors is not a classic," and insisted, "The 2003 Champions League final between Juventus and AC Milan, which ended 0-0 without a goal, was far better."

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*This content was translated by AI.