Key Takeaways
- Jonathan Tah has questioned the referee’s performance after Bayer Leverkusen lost 5-4 to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg.
- The German defender cast doubt over a penalty decision awarded to the French side during the match in Paris.
- Leverkusen remain confident of reaching the final despite the defeat, with the second leg to come at the Allianz Arena.
Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah has hit out at the match officials following his team’s 5-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. The 30-year-old expressed frustration with several decisions made by the referee but praised his teammates for their resilience.
Speaking to Prime Video after the match in the French capital, Tah said he was proud of how the squad handled difficult moments. “We dealt well with the setbacks, including some questionable calls from the referee,” he stated. “I was not completely sure about the penalty. I will need to watch the replay again.”
The defender also mentioned other incidents that confused him. “There were one or two small fouls that I did not understand,” he added. “But we did not let those things stop us. We handled the situation well.”
Despite the end-to-end nature of the game, which swung back and forth before finishing 5-4 to the home side, Tah believes his team showed their quality. “It was a very intense match,” he explained. “Even though we lost, I think we showed in many moments what kind of team we are.”
Tah also offered praise for the coaching staff. Head coach Vincent Kompany was serving a suspension and was not on the bench, but Tah felt the preparation was still excellent. “The staff managed the situation well. They spoke to us a lot before the game,” he said. “In the end, we are the players who must perform on the pitch, even when the manager is not there.”
Looking ahead to the return fixture, Tah remains optimistic about his side’s chances of reaching the final. “You could see that we can score many goals,” he concluded. “That is why we will go into the second leg at the Allianz Arena with full confidence. We will give everything to make it to the final.”