'Not in the spirit of the game' - Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich calls for rule change following spectacular record-breaking Champions League clash with PSG

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies handled a Dembele cross inside the penalty area at close range. There was no intent: the ball first struck Davies on the hip before rebounding onto his hand. Video assistant referee Carlos del Cerro Grande intervened, and, after reviewing the footage, referee Scharer awarded a penalty.

“The left arm extends and increases the defensive surface area. The left arm comes out and increases the blocking surface. In my view, it is definitely a punishable handball because the body surface area is widened. Based on these images, the decision was correct,” said leading referee expert Lutz Wagner, backing the official’s call. Kimmich, however, was far from convinced: “That’s really frustrating, because there’s no opponent behind him who could have scored. The rule could use a tweak.” The 31-year-old added that he would prefer a system where not every handball in the box automatically leads to a penalty, suggesting instead a less severe sanction for such accidental incidents.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany called the incident “highly debatable”, while sporting director Max Eberl added in the mixed zone: “There’s plenty to discuss. The ball hits the body first, then the hand, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been given. But what’s the point of getting worked up now? Unfortunately, he blew the whistle.”

Two AmazonPrime pundits and former internationals, Christoph Kramer and Mats Hummels, also criticised the decision. “It’s that super slow-motion again; that’s the worst thing in football, it makes everything look much worse,” complained Kramer. Hummels added: “After the shot, the hand flails away, which makes it look worse. The ball bounces off the hip; I always thought that shouldn’t be a penalty.”

Leading 3–2 at the break, PSG and Bayern had already delivered the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final first half on record, and the goals kept coming after the interval. The Parisians then stretched their advantage to 5–2 through quick-fire efforts from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Dembele.

“You all saw what happened after the 5–2. You’re standing on the pitch thinking, 'what on earth is going on?' We weren’t three goals worse than them,” said Kimmich about the tricky situation just after the hour mark. “It was important to stay relatively calm. The dilemma is clear: do you throw caution to the wind to get back into it, or do you try to avoid the worst-case scenario?”

Bayern then clawed their way back into contention: Dayot Upamecano’s 65th-minute header made it 5-3 and ensured the tie remained alive for next Wednesday’s home return. Shortly after, the outstanding Luis Díaz reduced the deficit to 5-4, a scoreline that would stand until the final whistle.

“We always knew it would be a back-and-forth contest, but not quite this open,” Kimmich said afterwards, reflecting on the record-breaking showdown. “It feels odd to be losing by only one goal. We were three down, fought back, and still needed to equalise. Paris were clearly tiring at the end.”

On May 6 at Allianz Arena, Kimmich and his team-mates will aim to turn the tie around. Should Bayern reach the final in Budapest at the end of May, they would face either Arsenal or Atletico Madrid, whose first semi-final meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

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