Bayern Munich enter season-defining stretch of fixtures

Bayern Munich hosting Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday will mark the first of seven games they will play before the winter break in 25 days between November 26 and December 20.

On Friday, following the conclusion of the November international break, Bayern resumed Bundesliga action with a 3-0 victory over Augsburg at the Allianz Arena. Along with ongoing injury concerns, the hectic fixture schedule suggests the remainder of 2024 will be very demanding, and as such a stumble along the way is quite possible.

However, the first three of those seven games could potentially make or break Bayern’s season. With that out of the way let us take a close look at what’s at stake when Bayern takes on PSG and Borussia Dortmund on November 26 and 30 respectively, and Bayer Leverkusen on December 3.

PSG visit Allianz Arena on matchday five of Champions League

On matchday five of the ongoing Champions League season, Bayern Munich will host PSG. It is a must-win game for both teams to climb the table. With only one win after four matchdays, PSG will be visiting Allianz Arena in a dismal 25th place in the standings on just four points. Needless to say, the French club will be desperate to come away from Bavaria with at least a point. A loss would all but eliminate their chances of qualification for the knock-out phase of the competition.

Meanwhile, Bayern are 17th in the standings on six points from four games. Depending on the results of other matches from matchday five, the Bavarian side can return to the top eight with a win against PSG. They will be in a strong position to seal the direct path to the knockout stage of the competition. Apart from qualification purposes, Vincent Kompany and Bayern need a statement performance against a big club in the Champions League after suffering defeats against Aston Villa and FC Barcelona.

Trip to Dortmund in Bundesliga

Four days after the Champions League clash against PSG, the Bavarians return to Bundesliga action with a trip to Signal Iduna Park to take on fifth-placed Dortmund.

Dortmund, on 19 points, currently trail leaders Bayern by 10 points. However, so far this season the Black and Yellows have won all their home games. Bayern would need to win this game not only to maintain a comfortable points cushion at the top of the table, but also to send a message to other title hopefuls. However, a draw without any further injuries could also be considered a positive result as Bayern currently have a six-point lead over second-placed Frankfurt.

DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen

As fate would have it, the upcoming clash against Bayer Leverkusen is the one truly must-win game from the three big games over the next ten days. With the DFB-Pokal being a knock-out competition Die Roten has to overcome Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on December 3 to keep dreams of the treble alive.

Somewhat worrying, Die Roten has failed to register a win in either of their last four matches against Leverkusen. However, based on the current form, a win for the Rekordmeister is highly probable.

If Bayern manage to get the better of their opponents in the next three games, despite the demanding schedule, Die Roten should be able to finish 2024 well-positioned in all competitions. Vincent Kompany has his work cut out for him to get the formula right over the next few weeks, but based on the direction that the team is currently trending in, apart from further injuries, there is no reason to doubt his capacity to deliver.