As the UEFA Champions League enters its knockout stages, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will face each other for the 13th time, with PSG looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from their home leg.
Bayern’s victory in Paris last month gives them a significant advantage as they look to progress to the quarter-finals.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions will need to win this match to continue their journey in the competition.
PSG have lost just six out of 19 knockout ties in the competition, but they have only progressed once after losing the first leg, against Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20. They task is also made more difficult as star forward Neymar has been ruled out of the season after ankle surgery
PSG have had a mixed run of form this year, losing five games out of 14 matches in all competitions, one more than they lost in the entirety of 2022. The Parisians lost half of their eight competitive away matches this year and will be looking to improve their record on the road.
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Meanwhile, Bayern suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, but bounced back with back-to-back league wins over Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart. They have an impressive home record, having remained unbeaten in 23 successive matches at home since their opening game of 2022.
Bayern have scored in each of their last 22 competitive matches, with an average of 3.14 goals per game. They will be looking to maintain their scoring record and win their first eight matches in a single UCL campaign for the second time after their exceptional 2019-20 campaign.
FORM
Bayern Munich: WWDWW
PSG: LLWWW
INJURIES/SUSPENSION
Bayern Munich: Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Neuer, Benjamin Pavard, Noussair Mazraoui
PSG: Neymar, Renato Sanches, Presnel Kimpembe, Achraf Hakimi
PLAYERS TO WATCH
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Jamal Musiala
Musiala is one of the most exciting young talents in world football, having been involved in 36 Bundesliga goals. He leads Bayern’s goal contribution rankings and is their leading chance creator from open play.
Lionel Messi
Messi is looking to become the second player in Champions League history to score 50 knockout-stage goals after Cristiano Ronaldo. He has a great record against Bundesliga sides, with 19 goals in UCL history. Alongside Neymar, he has scored the most goals against Bayern in PSG’s current squad.
In summary, this second-leg match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams looking to progress to the quarter-finals.
Bayern has an advantage with their 1-0 lead, but PSG has the quality to turn the tie around with players like Messi and Mbappe in their ranks.
PREDICTION: A Bayern Munich win.
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