Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain: Making Up for Bad Results at Allianz Arena
JAKARTA - An exciting match will be presented at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night, November 26 when Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain in the continuation of the 2024/2025 Champions League. Both teams come with great pressure to achieve positive results, considering their positions in the group standings are not encouraging.
Bayern Munich, who are currently in 17th place in the Champions League standings with six points from four matches, are determined to continue their positive trend after recording six consecutive wins in all competitions. Vincent Kompany's team just won 3-0 over Augsburg in the Bundesliga, which also strengthened their position at the top of the league standings with a six-point advantage.
However, Bayern's journey in the Champions League this season has been quite winding. They suffered defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona, although they managed to bounce back with a narrow 1-0 win over Benfica in the last match. Bayern have an impressive record against teams from France, with 12 wins from the last 14 meetings.
On the other hand, Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain faces greater pressure. PSG are 25th in the Champions League standings, having picked up just four points from four games. Their form in the competition has been less impressive, with just three goals scored so far.
PSG are fresh from a 3-0 win over Toulouse in Ligue 1, which strengthened their position at the top of the domestic league. However, they must bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League game. PSG's away record against Bundesliga sides is also poor, with just one win in their last seven visits.
Bayern will be without Joao Palhinha, who has an adductor injury, while Mathys Tel is a doubt. Leon Goretzka is likely to start in midfield, while Serge Gnabry and Konrad Laimer are expected to return to the starting XI. Harry Kane, who scored a hat-trick against Augsburg, is the main threat with 20 goals in 17 appearances this season.
Paris Saint-Germain are boosted by the return of Marquinhos ahead of Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. The captain missed PSG's 3-0 Ligue 1 win over Toulouse on Friday through suspension but is now ready to lead his side into a big challenge at the Allianz Arena.
PSG form
Luis Enrique will have to cope with the absence of several key players through injury, including Senny Mayulu, Lucas Hernandez, Goncalo Ramos and Presnel Kimpembe. Meanwhile, Nuno Mendes, who missed the Toulouse game with an ankle problem, remains a doubt and must undergo a fitness test.
In addition to Marquinhos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Vitinha and Willian Pacho are also certain to return to the starting XI after being on the bench in the last Ligue 1 game. Their presence is expected to strengthen PSG's back line and midfield.
Up front, Bradley Barcola, who has been in impressive form this season with 10 goals in 16 appearances, will again be the mainstay. He will join Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio in an attacking trident. Dembele has also impressed this season with five goals and seven assists in 14 games, while Asensio, who is expected to play as a centre-forward, has registered two goals and four assists in 13 games.
However, Randal Kolo Muani, who has yet to hit top form, is likely to start on the bench. The striker has been linked with a January move to Manchester United but is still expected to make an impact as a substitute.
This is sure to be a tight affair, with Bayern looking for a home win to strengthen their position in the group, while PSG will be hoping to steal a point to keep their chances of progressing to the next round alive.
Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):
Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3):
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Dembele, Asensio, Barcola