By Filip Michov
Patient or direct style, same goal but different approach as Enrique and Kompany battle for European honors
The reigning European champions are heading towards a successful defense of the Ligue 1 title after securing a comfortable victory at Angers at the weekend, opening up a six-point lead over Lens with four rounds remaining.
Now Paris Saint-Germain’s attention turns to the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, Luis Enrique’s free-flowing side’s main contenders for the European throne. The Parisians are in top form at the end of the season, but the Bavarians are historically difficult opponents for them: PSG’s last victory against Bayern in Europe’s elite competition dates back to 2021, with five consecutive defeats between then and now.
The back-to-back Bundesliga champions are excelling on all fronts this season, as Vincent Kompany’s side are unbeaten in 19 games in all competitions and currently on a nine-game winning streak. That record was under threat for 53 minutes in Mainz on Saturday until Harry Kane & co. miraculously overturned a three-goal deficit in the second half. Nothing seems impossible for Bayern Munich in 2025/26.
The Germans have scored an incredible 38 goals in the Champions League so far, tied for the most with PSG (who have played two more matches due to the playoffs), and have already beaten them at the Parc des Princes in the league stage of that competition.
Key players
Vitinha is Paris Saint-Germain’s unsung hero and for all the team’s firepower, it is the Portuguese maestro who is the key to making the team click. The 26-year-old has missed the last two matches through injury, but the former FC Porto midfielder is back in first-team training and ready to once again pull the strings for Luis Enrique on the pitch.
Vitinha’s importance to the Spanish coach is such that only his teammate, Willian Pacho, has played more minutes than him in the Champions League, while no one has covered more distance (159.7 km) or made more precise passes per 90 (97.9) in the competition.
Luis Díaz scored a brace before being sent off at the Parc des Princes earlier in the season and the Colombian’s excellent debut campaign in a Bayern shirt goes unnoticed given the extraordinary performances of Harry Kane and Michael Olise. The explosive winger completes FCB’s deadly attacking trident and with 25 goals and 17 assists in all competitions, it’s no surprise for Luchito to earn an impressive FotMob rating of 7.86.
Team News
With Vitinha back in first-team training ahead of the match, Enrique enjoys a near-full squad to choose from, with youngster Quentin Ndjantou the only one missing.
Interestingly, Vincent Kompany is suspended for the first leg in Paris after receiving his third yellow card of the season in the quarter-finals and the coach will be watching the match from the stands, with possibly Sven Ulreich, Raphaël Guerreiro, Tom Bischof, Lennart Karl and Serge Gnabry also ruled out through injury.
Prediction
PSG are slowly but surely reaching the heights of their all-conquering form from last season as the campaign comes to a head, but Bayern are in scintillating form themselves, and even without Kompany on the touchline I expect them to score goals, continue their unbeaten run and secure a positive result in Paris, while a goal fest seems inevitable given the teams’ successful attacks.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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