It’s not just Kompany’s suspension that hurts! Could an ongoing “issue” derail Bayern Munich right before the season starts?

At FC Bayern, the starting line-up for top-of-the-table clashes has been clear for months, although there was a last-minute change in the number 10 position at the start of April: just as the previously first-choice Serge Gnabry picked up an injury, the recovered Jamal Musiala returned to his best form. That is expected to be the only change to the side that edged past PSG 2-1 in the league phase back in early November. 

In contrast, PSG have been dealing with niggles: Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Vitinha have all reported minor knocks, while Fabian Ruiz, fresh from a knee injury, returned to the starting line-up last weekend after two substitute appearances. The quartet completed the final training session, prompting manager Luis Enrique to declare on club TV: “Everyone is ready, there are no question marks.”

• PSG: Safonov – Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes – Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz – Doue, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia.
• FC Bayern: Neuer – Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Musiala, Diaz – Kane.

PSG have recently been plagued by concerns up front, whilst Bayern Munich’s problems lie more in the depth of their squad: alongside first-team regular Gnabry, three key rotation players—Lennart Karl, Tom Bischof and Raphael Guerreiro—are also missing. Given the small squad, which was scrutinised with a critical eye time and again, particularly before the start of the season, effective substitutes are therefore already in short supply. 

Nicolas Jackson is currently scoring regularly in the Bundesliga, yet he remained an unused substitute against Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. Sporting director Max Eberl has already confirmed that the club will not exercise the option to buy the Chelsea loanee. Min-Jae Kim, Hiroki Ito and Leon Goretzka are available to add physicality. Alphonso Davies, now fully fit, remains the most dangerous super-sub, using his blistering pace to change games from the bench. In Paris, assistant coach Aaron Danks will handle substitutions while Kompany serves a ban; no contact is allowed at half-time or during the match.

Enrique, by contrast, has far more firepower on his bench: should his recently injured stars all start, he can still call on former Bayern man Lucas Hernandez, Ilya Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo in defence; Warren Zaire-Emery, Senny Mayulu and Kang-In Lee in midfield; and Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos up front.

On current form, FC Bayern are Europe’s leading side. Across 49 competitive fixtures, the Munich club average 2.71 points per game—a continental high. No major-league rival has bettered that mark. PSG, by comparison, manage 2.27 points over the same sample. Bayern have lost only twice—to Arsenal and Augsburg—while PSG have already suffered eight defeats, including one against the Bavarians in the league. 

Their greatest strength is an attacking trident featuring Michael Olise, Luis Diaz and Harry Kane, who have propelled the club to 167 goals across all competitions (PSG: 125), with new records falling almost every week. Kane alone has 53 goals and appears certain to claim the European Golden Boot. By contrast, PSG’s two most dangerous forwards, World Footballer of the Year Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, have each found the net only 16 times. 

Bayern’s attack is clearly superior, yet the two sides are defensively comparable: Munich have shipped 52 goals, PSG 53. 

PSG have yet to clinch the Ligue 1 title, but with four rounds left they sit six points clear of RC Lens. The club won the League Cup in January yet exited the Coupe de France in the round of 32, losing to city rivals Paris FC. Bayern, meanwhile, will meet VfB Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final.

Bayern Munich travel to Paris on the back of nine consecutive victories, including two convincing wins over Real Madrid and Saturday’s dramatic comeback against FSV Mainz 05. A second-string side fell 3-0 behind, but high-profile substitutions turned the game around, and the final score was 4-3. 

Like Kompany, Enrique rotated his squad heavily at the weekend and still cruised to a 3-0 win over SCO Angers. Overall, PSG have won eight of their last nine competitive matches, though they did lose to Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1 a fortnight ago. In the Champions League they have recently beaten Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC twice each, although the French Football Federation helped by postponing league fixtures in between to give the squad extra rest. No such favour will be granted before Saturday’s visit from Lorient FC.

PSG versus Bayern Munich is fast becoming a regular fixture in European football. Over the past nine years the sides have met nine times in the Champions League—more frequently than any other pair except Real Madrid and Manchester City, who have crossed paths 13 times.

More often than not, Bayern have come out on top. In 2020 the Munich side lifted their latest Champions League trophy after beating PSG in the final. Most recently they have strung together five consecutive Champions League wins over the Parisians, including a 2-1 success in November. At the break they were 2-0 ahead, with Joshua Kimmich later describing that first half as his best since joining the club in 2015. A red card for Luis Díaz turned the second period into a defensive slog, yet Bayern held on for the win. 

PSG did exact revenge in the Club World Cup quarter-finals, however, eliminating Bayern and also injuring Jamal Musiala with a broken fibula and serious ankle dislocation. The culprit, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has since moved to Manchester City.