Solid In Attacks And Defenses, Bayern Munich's Reasons Are Favorited In Champions League Champions

JAKARTA - Bayern Munich have sent a signal to all Champions League participants that they are the top favorites to win.

Victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, early morning WIB, could illustrate why they were favorited.

The Bundesliga giant will now be the target of competitors to be defeated on the way to the final in May 2026 in Budapest.

Die Bayern now holds the club's feared team label. They returned from Paris with a 2-1 win despite playing with 10 players before the first half ended.

The star of their victory, Luis Diaz, scored a goal and had to receive a red card due to a hard tackle to Achraf Hakimi.

Playing with 10 players against PSG -- defending Champions League champion--Bayern Munich performed dominating and brilliantly in the first half. Then, they were able to overcome the fierce resistance in the second half.

All of this was reinforced by the persistence and heroism of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer - who will celebrate his 40th birthday in March 2026 - and Harry Kane's determination, who defended with the strongest determination of his teammates to ensure Bayern Munich extended the start of an extraordinary season to 16 consecutive wins in all competitions.

"The main thing for me, I often say, is when there is a sensation, I tell my players, don't believe it."

"You're not that great. If you guys look bad, you're not that bad either. We've won 16 times and tomorrow goes back to zero."

"We have to win in the next game. However, defending with 10 players is another proof that we have to bring all season," said Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany, after the match.

Bayern Munich were able to kill a quick PSG counter-attack, scoring two goals through Diaz, which was recruited for 65.5 million pounds from Liverpool last summer.

The way Kompany's troops dominated PSG was impressive, especially as the Ligue 1 champion only played without Desire Doue being injured and backed up Joao Neves from their strongest team early in the game.

However, the six-time Champions League champions deserve the status of the favorite champion because they show the ability to control both sides of the game, namely attacking and defending.

In the first half, Kane, Diaz, and Michael Olise gave PSG the same torture as Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Doue to the victims of the French club on their way to winning the Champions League last season.

The midfielders' trio Serge Gnabry, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Joshua Kimmich, keep pace with Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, and Warren Zare-Emery at the heart of the PSG line-up.

Diaz's goals - in the fourth and 32nd minutes - reflect Bayern Munich's control enough even though Dembele's goal was disallowed due to offside, moments before the hamstring injury forced him off the pitch.

However, Diaz's red card ultimately allowed Bayern Munich to show another side of their game - the side they rarely show in Germany - in terms of the ability to withstand heavy pressure from dangerous opponents.

They did it because the Company players did not only survive as a team, but also the contributions of Neuer and centre-back Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah.

Everyone will be aware of Die Bayern's strength and threat of attack. After dealing directly with PSG in Paris and coming out victorious, now no one can question Bayern Munich's determination and his ability to survive persistent attacks.

They have goal threats from Kane, Olise, and Diaz, and the defense force to advance deep into tournaments this season. This season is still early, but Bayern Munich is as strong as any team in the world.

The fact that they did it against PSG means they can properly say they have faced the best team and won.

Bayern Munich's domestic dominance is easy to ignore considering they have been crowned Bundesliga champions 12 times in the last 13 seasons.

So, their streak of nine successive league wins so far this season, including the win against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, can be said to be impressive.

However, that is not enough to be called the best team in Europe. The Champions League is a much more reliable benchmark and Bayern Munich can now be proud to be the top favorite.

You see, they started the season with a 3-1 win against Chelsea (2025 Club World Cup winners) in the first match and now beat PSG so they have now won against world champions and Europe.

However, the challenge of winning the best title in Europe has not stopped. There are still teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Manchester City that they may face in the Champions League. The teams do have qualified players to beat Bayern Munich.

Because of that, Vincent Kompany did not want to be happy. He emphasized that he would maintain the cooperation of the team that was good at facing every match in front of him.

"Work hard to produce results. This summarizes the first half and the second half (against PSG)."

"You have to win a duel and win a second ball. You'll never be able to eliminate PSG threats, they're very active and have a high rhythm of possession. Starting tomorrow, everything goes back to zero."

"The Champions League champion has not yet been determined. It is about qualifying for the next round, from there, and being in a performance like this at the end of the season," said Kompany.