Here’s our saga. The 5 good reasons to follow a match (with some adaptations). We’ll take a look at what’s attractive before each match, with a mix of seriousness and humor. Mind you, this is by no means an exhaustive tour of the subject. We continue here with the match between Paris Saint-Germain (25th) and Bayern Munich (17th) this Sunday at the Allianz Arena, as part of Matchday 5 of the Champions League 2024-2025 (kick-off 9pm, Bayern/PSG broadcast on Canal+Foot in France).
5: A great match between two low-ranked teams
17th for Bayern is astonishing, 25th for PSG – we’ve heard it enough, it’s not good enough, both teams need to wake up. Bayern Munich are one of Europe’s greats, and whatever observers may say, PSG are one of them. It’s going to be a great game, in a great stadium, against a great historic opponent.
4: A European rivalry
As with domestic rivalries, PSG and Bayern have been at loggerheads for some years now. In 2020, the only Champions League final for PSG went badly.
In 2021, we all remember, PSG made the cut by beating a Bayern Munich side that was attacking but easy to beat. Finally, in 2023, we’ll never forget the double confrontation, made in Galtier, and above all the match at the Parc des Princes, which was a disgrace for the Parisians, unworthy of their position.
3: Similar stats (almost)
Both teams like to have the ball, press hard, create chances and don’t concede many. That’s all there is to it, and it creates uncertainty. Who will have the ball? Who will create the most chances? Above all, who will score the goals?
In this area, Bayern are not as bad as Paris, especially with a stalwart like Harry Kane. But it’s going to be an interesting battle, with Luis Enrique aiming to put PSG back at the heart of the competition by proving that he can keep up with the Bavarians in the game. But he’ll need to score…
2: Avenue, Boulevard, teams that play high (too high?)
If we can recognize these qualities/weaknesses, it’s that both teams are likely to want to play high. That’s fine, it’s a gamble, but with the quality of both teams on the counter-attack or recovering the ball, it can hurt a lot.
Bayern score most of their goals at the back, while PSG leave plenty of space. We’ll be watching a match with two teams who play, who take risks, and we’ll see who’s more effective up front and at the back.
1: PSG on the brink
We’ve often seen PSG arrive at a big match with fear in their stomachs and end up losing. Luis Enrique’s PSG play, even play very well at times, and their 25th place finish is a consequence of their incredible inefficiency. And yet, in soccer, you have to score goals, and Paris isn’t doing that.
The result of all this is that, with 4 games to go, PSG are out of the Champions League, pure and simple. Not making the 24 would be a shockwave, especially in a format that favours them overall. For the fans, then, there will be the tension of a big night, and on a night like this, there’s every reason to believe in Paris’ lucky star.
