Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have something in common ahead of their Champions League showdown on Tuesday night: Both teams are top of their domestic leagues and have yet to taste defeat. PSG have 10 wins and two draws in 12 matches in Ligue 1. Bayern have nine wins and two draws in 11 matches in the Bundesliga.
It’s a totally different ball game as far as Europe is concerned. In the Champions League, neither of these sides is immortal in the slightest. They’re both mid-table.
We’ve reached the halfway point in this new-look format for Europe’s elite competition and as things stand, PSG are going out. One win, one draw and two defeats have left Luis Enrique’s men in 25th place. In the new Champions League format, you need to finish at least 24th to qualify for the knockout stage play-offs. Bayern are on course to do that in 17th place but they’ve also suffered with two wins and two losses, one of which was a 4-1 thumping by Barcelona. They were even beaten by Champions League newbies Aston Villa.
One thing you can say about Bayern is they’ve come out swinging since that hammering by Barcelona, winning six games on the spin and scoring 17 in the process. Vincent Kompany looks to be moulding something special at the Allianz Arena this season. They already look like they’re cruising to the Bundesliga title after going six points clear. But the league title should be a slam dunk for a club like Bayern. The Champions League, the competition they last won in 2020, would look really good on Kompany’s CV.
However, there is no club that craves this competition more than PSG. Ever since their Qatari owners took over Les Parisiens in 2011, that has been the goal. They’ve reached one final in that time but the prize has always eluded them. As years have gone by, their star-studded teams, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, have tried and failed to add the Champions League crown to PSG’s array of jewels. With all those big names gone, that ambition now looks like a distant dream.
There will still be some talent on display in Munich on Tuesday night. Both teams boast some quality attacking players and the story of the night will be the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman going up against Ousmane Dembele, Marco Asensio and Bradley Barcola.
It should be an end-to-end spectacle with chances galore and daring runs down the wings. If both teams go for it, we could be treated to a game-of-the-season contender. History certainly suggests it could be an exciting, neck-and-neck affair. There have been 13 games between the two sides and Bayern Munich have won seven while scoring 18. PSG have won six, scoring 15.
Bayern Munich are still without Aleksandar Pavlovic, Joao Palhinha and Josip Stanisic. Mathys Tel is a doubt after picking up a knock that ruled him out of their 3-0 win over Augsburg on the weekend. Kompany could look to rotate his side slightly — with Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry all options who could come in if he wants to freshen things up.
PSG have an almost clean bill of health, with their only long-term absentee being Lucas Hernandez, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament tear. Nuno Mendes missed their 3-0 win over Toulouse on Friday but should be back for the Bayern clash.
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Bayern Munich vs PSG odds
Venue: Allianz Arena — Munich
Time: 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET), Tuesday
Form guide
Bayern Munich: 2-0-2 in UCL, 6 points (17th)
Last five (all competitions): W-W-W-W-W
PSG: 1-1-2 in UCL, 4 points (25th)
Last five (all competitions): W-W-L-W-W
Match prediction
Bayern 3-3 PSG
I’ve gone for a goal-fest here. Why not? Two evenly-matched teams who are on song in their respective divisions but underperforming in Europe. Something has got to give and a win for either team here could help them kick off for the rest of the group stage. Both teams are in desperate need of a win and should take the handbrake off and go for it. This should be a fiercely contested end-to-end contest with drama and big moments.
More Champions League coverage
Bayern’s Harry Kane becomes fastest player to 50 Bundesliga goals, beating Erling Haaland’s record
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez criticises FIFA, UEFA over football calendar
Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to be ‘ruthless’ as they search for Champions League away win at Sporting CP
(Photo of Harry Kane: Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images)
