The warmup was over for everyone 15 minutes before kickoff in the Champions League semifinal return leg between Bayern and PSG, but the mood in Bavaria was already set. Bayern supporters unfurled a banner reading, «On part à Budapest et on vous envoie à Saint-Hélène !», as the teams came onto the pitch.
PSG players arrived to start their warmup and were met with a rain of whistles. Bayern players followed to applause, and Manuel Neuer drew a cheer from the entire stadium when he stepped out for his own warmup. It was the kind of charged atmosphere that had been building all week, after PSG supporters displayed a tifo last week showing General Bonaparte defeating the Austrians at the Pont d'Arcole.
The scene mattered because PSG were back on the same pitch where they had been crowned European champions last year, and the return came with the weight of a semifinal that had already turned into a symbolic contest before the opening whistle. Bayern began their pregame work with physical exercises, while PSG crossed to the field under the noise of a crowd that made clear where its loyalties lay.
Before the match, Luis Enrique told Canal+ that the moment carried real significance. «Quand tu as l’opportunité de jouer ces matchs, ça représente beaucoup de choses. On a préparé le match de la meilleure des manières. Maintenant, c’est à l’équipe de jouer», he said. The tension in the stands offered the first answer to what sort of night the players were walking into.
