Harry Kane praised the defensive performances in Bayern Munich's 5-4 loss to Paris Saint‑Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi‑final, calling them "amazing" – a view that was promptly challenged by former England captain Wayne Rooney. The match, which produced nine goals, set a historic benchmark as the first European semi‑final in which both sides scored four or more times.
Kane, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot, summed up his thoughts at the post‑match interview on Amazon Prime: "Even though there were nine goals, there was some amazing defending out there. You've got the best players in the world – the best attackers, the best defenders.
Of course, sometimes the attackers will shine and show their quality. When you look back at the centre‑halves dropping into midfield, pushing forward, or even covering the flanks against wingers, you have to give them credit. It's a really hard job and I thought they were outstanding." Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany, while defending his side's high‑scoring approach, echoed Kane's sentiment that the defensive work had merit, despite the flood of goals.
Rooney, however, offered a starkly different perspective. Speaking to the same Amazon Prime audience, he said: "I love Harry Kane – you can see that from everything I say about him – but there's no way he can honestly be praising his defenders. Maybe because they're his teammates and he wants to boost their confidence ahead of the second leg.
The defending from both sides was really poor, if you're being truthful. Both teams have such quality up front that they seemed to forget about defending, which gave us a feast of goals. He continued, "The best players find a way through, and when you're up against world‑class attackers you have to adapt. You don't hear defenders communicating like you used to.
I miss the days when Jamie Carragher would shout instructions to his back line at Liverpool – it annoyed me, but it got the full‑backs back into shape. That level of communication is missing now, partly because of how coaching has evolved." Rooney added that the game was "crazy and chaotic" and critiqued PSG manager Luis Enrique for not consolidating the 5‑2 lead: "Luis Enrique is a top coach, so when you have a five‑two advantage you should tell your team to shut it down and protect the ball. Instead they kept pushing for more goals, and Vincent Kompany has an attack‑minded Bayern side.
We saw some immature defending, which is astonishing." Enrique gave a measured assessment after the match, telling the press: "We won, of course we're happy. But after being 5‑2 up you think you could have a better result. I think we deserved to win, but we also deserved to draw, and even to lose – the game was that open." Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher praised the attacking display, noting that the semi‑final tied for the highest‑scoring encounter in European Cup history. In an interview with CBS Sports he said: "Usually after a game like that I would say the defending wasn't good enough, that it didn't meet the standard of this level.
But every attacker on the pitch was an eight or nine out of ten, and each forward got the better of his counterpart. When I think of the goals, they weren't the result of goalkeeper blunders or sloppy defending – they were simply great goals. The attacking play was so high‑quality it was almost impossible to stop them." The goal‑fest at the Parc des Princes meant both PSG (43) and Bayern Munich (42) have now scored more than 40 goals each in this season's Champions League, underlining the offensive firepower of both clubs. Former French international Thierry Henry, speaking on CBS Sports, added his own take: "We've been hearing a lot about teams that are too cautious, that prefer not to lose rather than to win.
Tonight there was plenty of risk. If you were wearing a defensive hat you might think the game was crazy, but I don't care. People complain football is boring – this game was anything but.
It was wild at times, but that's exactly what makes it exciting." Sky Sports analyst Callum Bishop reflected on the broader significance of the match: "Tonight reminded us how beautiful football can be when it flows freely, especially when some argue that modern tactics have made the game formulaic. Watching this game took me back to my first memory of falling in love with football – a Champions League semi‑final in 2007 when Manchester United faced AC Milan at Old Trafford. Kaka's second goal that night was pure poetry, a piece of skill that sent Evra and Heinze crashing together before he calmly slotted past Van der Sar. That kind of magic has been stripped from the modern game at times, but tonight we saw dozens of moments that took our breath away.
It led to a goal fest that should be celebrated. Goalkeepers and defenders might not be happy, but most fans would rather see spectacles like this every week. "This is the beautiful game in its purest form across 90 minutes, and we still have another 90 to go in this tie." Following the match, Sky Sports invited fans to share their reactions, and many described the encounter as one of the best they have ever witnessed. Comments ranged from Mark’s praise for the fast, entertaining style, to Scott B’s sympathy for anyone who missed the game, to Joe’s claim that it was perhaps the greatest Champions League semi‑final ever.
Andrew noted that English clubs need to catch up, while Mikey, an Arsenal supporter, joked that whichever team advanced from his side’s tie would have no chance in the final. The post‑match buzz also included a reminder that fans could enter the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000, with free entry available. In summary, while Harry Kane lauded the defensive work despite the high scoreline, Wayne Rooney dismissed it as sub‑par, highlighting a split in opinion among football’s elite.
The game itself, however, will be remembered for its sheer entertainment value, the sheer number of goals, and the debate it sparked about the balance between attacking flair and defensive solidity in modern football.