PSG – Bayern Munich

The German club will get a positive result in Paris

Among the first matches of this week's Champions League 1/8 finals, the duel between the French and German champions stands out. The Galtier and Nagelsmann teams finished the year 2022 with a total advantage over their rivals in their respective national divisions, but January and February played either without turning up the heat, or weakly in terms of their playing form. Bookmakers ahead of the start of the European elite cup play-offs regard Bayern and PSG as the second and third title contenders respectively, placing them behind Manchester City. Betting odds are 7.5 on the German champion to win the tournament, and 8.0 on the French champion. The bookmakers have not identified a favourite in the upcoming meeting, offering only a slight slant in the odds in favour of the visitors. Paris have indeed returned to the French Championship after a pause associated with the Mundial, far from playing tone. In a month and a half in Ligue 1, the champions have managed to lose to Lens, Rennes and lose points to modest Reims. In the winning encounters, PSG did not produce a sense of overwhelming superiority over their opponents. On Wednesday, the Parisians crashed out of the French Cup at the 1/8 final stage, losing away to Marseille 1-2. Much of this performance by PSG is due to the high number of injured players. Mbappe, Veratti, Mukiele and Renato Sanches will not be available against Bayern. Messi will be out against Bayern, but his condition following a muscular injury is unknown. Bayern ended the year 2022 with a ten-match winning streak. That said, Nagelsmann has struggled to put the team together after the World Cup in Qatar. The first three Bundesliga outings were tied at 1-1 for the Munich club, but in February they came more or less to their senses, beating Mainz and Wolfsburg 8-2 on aggregate. Bayern continue to play without Mané, Mazraoui, Hernández and Neuer, but have adjusted to the absence of those players. PSG and Bayern have met six times in the current period of history. Four meetings have been won by the Germans and two by the French. Bayern's play now looks more stable, so let's bet on the visitors' success.