Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich Prediction, Pick, Odds

Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich Predictions

PSG Desperate to Get Over the Line in Europe for the First Time

For Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League is the holy grail. A club that was only founded in 1970 - decades after most top teams in European soccer - has never before been crowned champions of Europe. Since its takeover by Qatar in 2011, winning the continent’s foremost competition has been the principal objective at the Parc des Princes.

Up to now, though, PSG have continually fallen short. The closest they came to victory was in 2020, when a team led by Thomas Tuchel lost to Bayern Munich in the final. But there has been plenty of embarrassment in this tournament both before and since that runners-up placing. 

Last season, for instance, PSG were knocked out by eventual winners Real Madrid in the round of 16, despite having been 2-0 up on aggregate with a quarter of the 120-minute tie remaining. The year before that, PSG were comfortably beaten 4-1 by Manchester City in the last four.

The hope was that the current campaign would be different. Christophe Galtier made a bright start to his tenure as the club’s manager, as PSG won 14 and drew two of their first 16 Ligue 1 matches this term. They also collected 14 out of 18 points in the group stage of the Champions League, yet still finished behind Benfica in their section.

Coming second meant there was a good chance that PSG would be handed a tough tie in the round of 16 - and so it proved, with the French champions picked out of the hat to face Bayern.

Worse still, PSG’s form ahead of the first leg has been poor. They have lost back-to-back games domestically, going down to Marseille in the Coupe de France before losing 3-1 to Monaco in Ligue 1 at the weekend. PSG will be up against it on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich Hope They Have Turned Corner After Poor Run

Bayern Munich also suffered a winter wobble, but they now seem to have come out the other side. 

A run of three consecutive 1-1 draws after German soccer’s resumption following a lengthy break blew the Bundesliga title race wide open. Bayern have since turned a corner, winning back-to-back games to ensure they are yet to drop off top spot in the division. 

However, the chasing pack are still within touching distance of Julian Nagelsmann’s side: Union Berlin are just a point adrift, while Borussia Dortmund are three behind the reigning champions. Bayern will not have everything their own way for the remainder of the Bundesliga campaign.

Perhaps a title race would not be a bad thing for Bayern’s prospects in the Champions League. They have won the last 10 Bundesliga championships in a row, and some of those triumphs have been very comfortable from start to finish. Being pushed domestically would at least keep Bayern sharp for their European assignments.

This is a tricky tie for the German giants, though, notwithstanding PSG’s loss of form in the run-up to the first leg in the French capital. Bayern were imperious in the group stage, winning all six matches, scoring 18 goals and conceding only two, despite being drawn to face Barcelona, Inter and Viktoria Plzen.

Having won their group so convincingly, they would have hoped to be paired with a weaker opponent than PSG in the round of 16. But to win the Champions League, you have to beat the best the continent has to offer at some point. Bayern, six-time European champions, know that better than most.

PSG problems Could Be Clear for All to See in Tuesday’s Game

The more optimistic members of the PSG fan base will hope that the magnitude of Tuesday’s match will inspire the team to produce a much improved performance. 

The trouble is, their recent defeats in France came in big matches too, with Marseille and Monaco two of their rivals towards the top of the division.

What is more, form cannot be turned on and off like a tap. It is not possible to simply pick and choose which fixtures you will perform in. PSG’s recent displays and results must have dented confidence within the camp, with Galtier now under pressure from supporters and the media.

Another factor to take into account is the probable absence through injury lf Kylian Mbappe. In a strange way, having one of the star-studded front three - Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi - unavailable for selection is not always bad news, since it can help to balance out the team. But Mbappe is the attacker PSG would have least liked to lose. 

Bayern are not perfect, but they are a slick, coherent team at their best and they should prove too strong for their hosts on Tuesday. Back the German champions to emerge triumphant at the Parc des Princes this week.