PSG vs Bayern Munich

Paris Saint-Germain’s pursuit of a historic first Champions League title faces a stern test as perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich arrive at the Parc des Princes for the first leg of this blockbuster last-16 tie.

Despite going unbeaten in all six Champions League outings this season (W4, D2), PSG’s performances in the group stage flattered to deceive, resulting in a runner-up finish to Benfica in Group H. Not even their bid to win a record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title is going smoothly following a troublesome start to 2023. In addition to losing standout forward Kylian Mbappe in the build-up to this fixture, Christophe Galtier’s men have lost four times since the turn of the year, including back-to-back defeats ahead of the kick-off. But before a 1-0 loss in the return leg of their 2020/21 quarter-final tie, ‘Les Parisiens’ had won their first four Champions League home meetings with Bayern Munich. That result incidentally remains PSG’s only scoring blank across their last 32 home outings in Europe’s elite competition.

On the oher hand, visiting Bayern Munich dispatched minnows Bochum 3-0 at the weekend, solidifying their place at the top of the Bundesliga table while making it three wins in a row in all competitions. As the only side to have completed this season’s Champions League group phase with a 100% win ratio, the ‘Bavarians’ must be confident about reaching the quarter-finals for the 11th time in 12 seasons. And while only Napoli (21) netted more goals in the Champions League group stages than Bayern (18), the Germans’ record of only two goals conceded is the best defensive record in the competition. Topically, Julian Nagelsmann’s men have kept a clean sheet twice in their last three Champions League matches against PSG.