Thierry Henry Blown Away by ‘Crazy Game of the Century’ as PSG Edge Bayern in Nine-Goal Thriller

Football legend Thierry Henry has lauded Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich for their spectacular Champions League semi-final first leg, a match he believes was a much-needed remedy for the recent trend of conservative play.

The two European giants delivered an instant classic at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, with the defending champions PSG emerging victorious in a breathtaking 5-4 encounter.

The nine-goal thriller, hailed by many as a "game of the century," featured braces from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele, along with a decisive header from Joao Neves.

The match was a showcase of attacking brilliance, controversy, and relentless, end-to-end action, providing a stark contrast to the cautious tactics that have dominated the sport in recent years.

Speaking as a pundit for CBS Sports, former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Henry expressed his delight. "We’ve been talking about how we watch a lot of teams that do not take any risks," he said. "Wingers that don’t dribble, people that don’t go forward, and they’re thinking about not losing the game instead of winning it."

Henry acknowledged the defensive frailties but emphasised the entertainment value. "Maybe if you have your defensive hat on, you’ll go crazy on some stuff that you saw tonight. But I don’t care," he admitted. "We’ve been complaining for more than two years that football is ‘boring.’ That game wasn’t boring. I enjoyed myself and I think everybody at home enjoyed themselves."

He added, "It’s just crazy... that’s a score you see normally on aggregate at the end of a tie."

Henry's fellow pundits were equally impressed. Peter Schmeichel, the 1999 Champions League winner with Manchester United, declared it the best match he had ever seen live.

"I cannot remember having watched a better game ever in my life, live being in the stadium," the Danish icon stated. "The tempo and how it shifted from end to end all the time; it was brilliant."

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, a 2005 winner, praised the offensive masterclass on display. "Every attacking player on the pitch there was an eight or nine out of ten," he observed. "The attacking play was out of this world."

Wayne Rooney, who won the trophy with Manchester United in 2008, echoed the sentiment on Amazon Prime. "Both teams have got so much quality at the top end of the pitch that they probably forgot to defend a little bit," he said. "It was crazy, it was chaotic, and we saw some great goals."

The rivalry is set to continue next Wednesday when PSG and Bayern face off for the second leg at the Allianz Arena.