Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain

One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the UEFA Champions League calendar pits continental powerhouses Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain against each other at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich maintained their uptick in form with a 3-0 home win against Bundesliga minnows Augsburg last weekend, extending their winning streak in all competitions to six matches. Harry Kane’s hat-trick set Vincent Kompany’s side up nicely for this blockbuster, with the Bavarians seeking a fourth consecutive Champions League victory against PSG. However, there’s no room for complacency, even though they’re unbeaten across their last 18 European home outings (W14, D4), knowing ‘Les Parisiens’ were the last team to beat them on this ground in April 2021. Another underwhelming result would land a fatal blow on Bayern’s quest to secure automatic knockout qualification, considering they already languish three points behind the top-eight pace after blowing hot and cold across their first four Champions League matches (W2, L2).

On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain upheld their near-flawless Ligue 1 start (W10, D2) with a comprehensive 3-0 home triumph against Toulouse last weekend, making it four wins from five (L1) since a 1-1 Champions League draw against PSV Eindhoven. However, Luis Enrique’s men unfathomably lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in their last home outing at Europe’s top table, making it three consecutive Champions League games without winning since a 1-0 home triumph against Girona on day one (D1, L2). Force to do some catching up to secure knockout progression, the perennial French champions head to Munich in dire need of points to prevent bowing out of the competition’s group/league phase for the first time since 2004/05.