The Daily Star Ireland
Bayern Munich, currently in 17th place, is not meeting their usual expectations. Their recent 1-0 win over Benfica was a hard-fought one, and they are still recovering from losses to Aston Villa and FC Barcelona, where they were defeated 1-0 and 4-1, respectively.
Although they have been struggling in Europe, Bayern had found their form before the international break, securing five straight wins across all competitions, with each match ending without conceding a goal. They are currently leading the Bundesliga, five points ahead of second place, and remain undefeated this season. Bayern hosted Augsburg last Friday in an effort to maintain their strong domestic performance.
On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain has underperformed during the group stage of the Champions League. With only one win in their first four matches— a 1-0 victory over Girona— their European campaign has been disappointing. They also suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, a 1-1 draw at home with PSV Eindhoven, and a 2-1 loss to Atlético Madrid in Paris.
Despite these struggles, PSG is still in the hunt for knockout-stage qualification. Domestically, however, they are unbeaten in Ligue 1 and are focused on extending their lead at the top, starting with a match against Toulouse last Friday to prepare for their tough upcoming encounter with Bayern.
Bayern Munich’s coach, Vincent Kompany, is dealing with a few injury issues. New signing Ito has not yet played, while Portuguese midfielder Palhinha is sidelined with an adductor injury, expected to return in December. Full-back Stanisic and midfielder Pavlovic are also recovering and could be back before the year ends.
French forward Olise, who had a strong start to the season with seven goals, has slowed down recently. In contrast, Harry Kane is in excellent form, having scored five goals in the Champions League and 11 in the Bundesliga, and he is expected to lead the attack against PSG.
For PSG, long-term injuries continue to keep Lucas Hernandez, Kimpembe, and Gonçalo Ramos out of action. However, all other players are available, including full-back Hakimi, captain Marquinhos, and young talent Zaire-Emery, who scored in their last match against Atlético Madrid.
PSG’s attacking lineup includes Barcola (10 goals in Ligue 1), Dembélé (5 goals and 4 assists), and Kolo Muani, although Kolo Muani has not been favored by coach Luis Enrique in the league. None of these players have scored in the Champions League so far, and PSG has only managed two goals in their first four matches in the competition.
Prediction
Given Bayern Munich’s strong attacking play at home in the Champions League and PSG’s struggles to find the back of the net in Europe, it is likely that both teams will score. Bayern’s recent home games in the competition have been high-scoring, and PSG has been involved in several away matches with both teams finding the net.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 PSG.
