Bayern Munich will have to beat the best this season to go deep in the Champions League. After coming out on top in the group of death, Bayern is set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Along with Die Roten, the French club is one of the favourites to win the competition.
PSG finished second in the group H after Benfica scored a crucial sixth goal in the added time against Maccabi Haifa on the final matchday to win the group. The French club was unbeaten throughout the group stage, winning four of their six group games.
Meanwhile, Bayern won all of their six games in Group C. They delivered impressive performances to get home and away wins against FC Barcelona and Inter Milan. The Bavarian club has been very impressive in the final third this season despite losing Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in the summer.
Bayern and PSG have met on several occasions in the Champions League over the past few seasons. Die Roten came on top in 2020 when the two sides met in the final of the European competition. It was a fiercely competitive game that was decided by Kingsley Coman’s goal in the second half.
The two sides met again in the quarter-final stage of the competition. PSG managed to knock out Die Roten on away goals during this tie. Both games were thrilling to watch, but PSG did enough to book a place in the next round. The upcoming two games in the round of 16 are likely to be fiercely competitive.
PSG will be a significant test for Bayern’s defense since the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar have been in phenomenal form this season. It will be intriguing to see Julian Nagelsmann’s tactical plans to stop this front three without compromising the team’s flair in the final third.
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For now, Bayern will focus on the Bundesliga as the games against PSG will take place in February and March. With the World Cup just around the corner, Die Roten will be looking to win their remaining games before players leave next week for national duty.
Nagelsmann has managed to navigate through the mini-crisis and help Bayern to recover from poor September. After the win against Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Die Roten has moved back to the points table. The German coach will be hoping to maintain this form in the Bundesliga and build momentum for the Champions League games against PSG.