Football
Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain: Odds, Tips and Predictions
SportsBoom previews the UEFA Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. It is a repeat of the 2020 final but both teams have had less than ideal starts to the UEFA Champions League. These factors make it an enticing fixture for UEFA Champions League betting enthusiasts.
Manuel Neuer react with the referee//Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain travel to Munich to take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday. Bayern are currently 17th in the table with six points from four games and on course to qualify for the knockout phase play-offs but will be eager to advance in the top 16 and therefore be a seeded team.
PSG, meanwhile, have four points from four games and are one point behind PSV Eindhoven in the race for 24th place. Currently, PSG sit 25th.
No team in this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage will drop down to the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Bayern Odds-On Favourites
Home: 31/50 (1.62) – 61.7%
Draw: 7/2 (4.5) – 22.2%
Away: 19/5 (4.8) – 20.8%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change
Head-to-head Record
Last five meetings (UEFA Champions League)
08/03/23: Bayern Munich 2-0 PSG
14/02/23: PSG 0-1 Bayern Munich
13/04/21: PSG 0-1 Bayern Munich
07/04/21: Bayern Munich 2-3 PSG
23/08/20: PSG 0-1 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich: Current Form - WLLW
Bayern Munich began their UEFA Champions League campaign in style with a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb.
However, fortunes changed quickly as Aston Villa beat them 1-0. Bayern were then hammered 4-1 by Barcelona, coached by Hansi Flick. It was payback for Bayern’s 8-2 win over Barcelona when Flick was in charge of Bayern en route to winning the 2020 Champions League.
In their last Champions League match, Bayern bounced back from the Barça defeat with a 1-0 win over Benfica.
Key Players To Watch:
Harry Kane – The 31-year-old England striker may have had a tough time in recent matches for his country, but he remains a lethal threat upfront.
Jamal Musiala – The highly-rated 21-year-old playmaker scored on international duty for Germany. He will always be amongst the players any defence will have to watch closely.
Michael Olise – The French forward has proven his elite potential for Bayern since joining from Crystal Palace.
Bayern Munich: Team News
Bayern Munich are grappling with injuries as they prepare for a demanding run of fixtures after the international break. João Palhinha has likely been sidelined for the rest of the year following an injury on Portugal duty, while Mathys Tel picked up a knock playing for France Under-21s.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is also a doubt for Friday’s Bundesliga clash with Augsburg due to a rib issue sustained during training, leaving third-choice Daniel Peretz in line to start. Second-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is unavailable for personal reasons. It is likely that Neuer will be fit to start against PSG regardless of whether or not he starts against Augsburg.
In midfield, Leon Goretzka is set to feature again following Palhinha’s absence. Goretzka, initially arguably fourth choice this season behind Aleksandar Pavlović, Palhinha, and Konrad Laimer, made his first start in Bayern’s 1-0 win at St. Pauli before the break. Pavlović remains out with a broken collarbone.
Paris Saint-Germain: Current Form - WLDL
PSG began their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Girona. However, they were subsequently beaten 2-0 by Arsenal.
After a 1-1 draw at home to PSV Eindhoven, PSG’s poor run of form in the competition continued with a 2-1 home defeat to Atlético Madrid.
Like Bayern in the Bundesliga, PSG are dominating Ligue 1 in the early stages of the season.
Key Players To Watch
Bradley Barcola – One of the most talked about talents in Europe at the moment has already scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 this season.
Lee Kang-in – On the opposite flank, the South Korean attacker has been in fine form for the Parisian side, and it will be interesting to see whether he or Ousmane Dembele is selected.
Marco Asensio – The left-footed Spanish playmaker won three UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid and has plenty of experience in major European games.
Bradley Barcola runs with the ball//Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain: Team News
PSG face Toulouse this weekend without injured striker Gonçalo Ramos, who has been sidelined since August with ankle ligament damage. Coach Luis Enrique stated that Ramos is in the final stages of recovery but needs more time to regain match fitness. Lucas Hernández continues his long road to recovery from a cruciate ligament tear.
Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sané, Musiala, Coman, Kane
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Beraldo; Zaire-Emery, Ruiz, Mayulu; Dembele, Asensio, Barcola
Suggested Bets
Over 2.5 Goals – Both teams have incredible offensive talent, while PSG’s defence has been somewhat shaky lately. (Betway 17/40) (Supabets 22/50) (1Win 11/25)
Over 3.5 Goals – For bettors feeling more confident, the odds on over 3.5 goals allow greater potential profits than the over 2.5 goal market. (Betway 57/50) (Supabets 107/100) (1Win 109/100)
Bayern Munich -1 Handicap – Bayern Munich have won both of their home Champions League games this season and showed their potential when they beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2, so it might be worth betting on a big win. Bayern are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions ahead of their weekend clash with Augsburg. (Betway 7/5) (Supabets 141/100) 1Win 49/50)
Value Bets
Jamal Musiala First Goalscorer – Jamal Musiala has scored the only goal in both of Bayern’s last two games – first against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League and then St. Pauli in the Bundesliga. (Betway 37/5) (1Win 13/2)
Bayern Munich to Win First Half – Bayern have dominated in the first half of many recent matches and there is value in backing them to do the same here. (Betway 111/100) (Supabets 26/25) (1Win 111/100)
Correct Score: Bayern Munich 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain – A 3-1 win for Bayern would be consistent with recent form and offers superb value. (Supabets 197/25) (1Win 61/5)
Prediction: Bayern Munich to Win
Bayern have found form since their defeat to Barcelona, winning five matches in a row in all competitions. Jamal Musiala is in hot form and Harry Kane continues to find ways to score whether or not he is at his best. PSG have lost key players in Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé over the last two years. They were not ready to consistently take on the best teams in the UEFA Champions League even with this menacing front three and are further from being ready now.
Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.