The Allianz Arena will host an exciting Champions League clash on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich take on Paris Saint-Germain, with both teams under pressure to secure a positive result.
Bayern are currently 17th in the Champions League standings, having earned six points from their first four games, while PSG are even further behind in 25th, with just four points from their opening matches.
Bayern come into this game on the back of a six-game winning streak, having bounced back impressively from their 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in late October. They won 3-0 against Augsburg on Friday and are six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, as they aim to reclaim the title from Bayer Leverkusen.
However, their Champions League form has been less than stellar, with losses to Aston Villa and Barcelona leaving them in a tough spot in the competition.
Despite the setbacks in Europe, Bayern did manage to secure a crucial 1-0 win over Benfica in their most recent Champions League outing. They'll be looking to maintain their strong form at home, where they’ve won 12 of their last 18 European matches against French teams.
In fact, Bayern have triumphed in 12 of their last 14 encounters with Ligue 1 opposition and boast a solid record at home, winning 22 of their last 27 Champions League games. Their last European loss on home soil was to PSG in the 2020-21 quarter-finals.
PSG, meanwhile, have had a tough time against Bayern in recent years. They were eliminated by the German side in both the 2022-23 and 2020 Champions League knockout stages.
PSG are coming off a 3-0 win over Toulouse in Ligue 1, which has them sitting comfortably atop the French league, six points ahead of second place. However, their form in Europe has been disappointing.
They were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid in early November and have also suffered losses to Arsenal and a draw with PSV Eindhoven in this season’s Champions League.
Currently in 25th place in the Champions League, PSG have only managed four points from four games, and their attack has been struggling, having scored just three goals in the competition so far. They’ve also struggled on the road in Europe, winning only one of their last seven matches against Bundesliga teams and losing eight of their last 15 away games in Germany.
Given Bayern’s strong home record and PSG's struggles in Europe, it will be a tough challenge for the French side to come away with a result at Allianz Arena on Tuesday night.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Bayern Munich will again be without Joao Palhinha due to an adductor injury, while Mathys Tel will be assessed after missing the Augsburg match due to a knock.
Aleksandar Pavlovic and Josip Stanisic have both returned to training following recent injuries, but Hiroki Ito remains a long-term absentee for Bayern.
With Palhinha sidelined, Leon Goretzka could step into the central midfield, and Serge Gnabry and Konrad Laimer are likely to return to the starting lineup after being rested against Augsburg.
Harry Kane, who scored a hat trick against Augsburg, has been in fantastic form, with 20 goals in 17 appearances this season, including five in four Champions League games.
For PSG, Senny Mayulu, Lucas Hernandez, Goncalo Ramos, and Presnel Kimpembe will miss the match through injury. Nuno Mendes is also a doubt after missing Friday's game with an ankle problem, and a late fitness check will be needed.
Marquinhos returns to the lineup after serving a suspension against Toulouse, and Vitinha, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Willian Pacho will also be back in the starting XI.
Bradley Barcola, who has been in excellent form this season with 10 goals in 16 appearances, will start again, while Marco Asensio and Ousmane Dembele are expected to feature in attack.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Dembele, Asensio, Barcola
EXPERT PREDICTION
Bayern Munich 2-1 PSG
Both teams have faced challenges in the Champions League this season, but Bayern's home form is incredibly strong, making it hard to see PSG coming away with a positive result on Tuesday night. While PSG certainly have the quality to find the back of the net, we expect Kompany's side to edge out a narrow victory at Allianz Arena.
