The quibble with elite modern sides is that they only really play half the game, that they are so dominant in their domestic leagues that they forget how to, or simply don’t bother to, defend. But the result is games like Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals and a rematch of their August final in Lisbon. It was chaotic, frenetic, frequently brilliant and tremendous fun.
Whether any side can win the Champions League defending like this must be doubtful. Logic suggests the advantage lies with more balanced teams such as Manchester City and Chelsea.