In a dramatic Champions League clash that left fans on the edge of their seats, Luis Díaz stole the spotlight for both his brilliance and his blunder. The Bayern Munich star scored twice against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, only to be sent off moments before halftime for a reckless tackle on Achraf Hakimi. But here's where it gets controversial—was the red card justified, or did the referee go too far? Let’s dive in.
The match, held at Parc des Princes in Paris, saw Díaz open the scoring in the fourth minute with a close-range finish after goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved Michael Olise’s shot. The goal capped off a lightning-fast Bayern counterattack, sparked by Ousmane Dembélé’s midfield mistake and Serge Gnabry’s precise pass to Olise. Díaz’s second goal came in the 32nd minute, courtesy of a crisp shot following a defensive blunder by PSG captain Marquinhos, who lost possession near the penalty area. This marked Díaz’s second consecutive game with a goal, following his strike in Bayern’s 4-0 win over Club Brugge.
However, the Colombian’s heroics took a dark turn when he lunged wildly at Hakimi from behind, trapping the PSG player’s left leg before he fell. Initially shown a yellow card, referee Maurizio Mariani upgraded it to red after a VAR review. Hakimi, visibly distressed, was comforted by teammates before being helped off the field. This incident marked the second early substitution for PSG, as Dembélé had already exited in the 25th minute due to a recurring thigh injury.
Despite Díaz’s dismissal, Bayern held on to win 2-1, extending their winning streak to 16 games and handing PSG their first defeat in this season’s group stage. PSG’s lone goal came in the 74th minute from midfielder João Neves, who slid to convert Kang-in Lee’s cross. Bayern’s veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer then denied Warren Zaïre-Emery with a brilliant save, securing the victory.
But here’s the burning question: Did Díaz’s red card overshadow his otherwise stellar performance? While his tackle was undoubtedly reckless, some argue that a yellow card would have sufficed. And this is the part most people miss—in the heat of such high-stakes matches, where do we draw the line between aggression and dangerous play? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—was the red card fair, or did it ruin what could have been Díaz’s night of glory?
