Bayern Munich against PSG. The other semi-final. First leg in Paris on Tuesday 28 April, return at the Allianz Arena on 6 May. On paper, the better tie of the two. These clubs have history, opposing styles, and enough at stake that a dull game would feel like a crime.
Bayern are slight favourites. They have won the last five meetings between the sides. PSG have had the resources to dominate European football for years and have still not convincingly done it. Bayern tend to be clinical and hard to hurt when properly set up. That counts for something at this stage.
Bayern's case
Harry Kane has had a very good season. His partnership with Michael Olise gives Bayern an attacking combination that is genuinely hard to prepare for — Kane dropping into space to link play while Olise runs beyond, or the two switching roles depending on what the game asks. Joshua Kimmich behind them provides the control. When the press works, Bayern are very hard to play through.
They have also won ugly in this competition this season. That is not a criticism. It is useful. Teams that can only win when everything goes right rarely last until May.
PSG's case
PSG without Mbappe are harder to read than PSG with him. The team is more collective now, less dependent on one player to do something extraordinary. That makes them more difficult to analyse, and it has caught a couple of opponents off guard. Their home form has been strong. The Parc des Princes in a European semi-final is a proper atmosphere.
The question that has followed PSG for the better part of a decade is whether their best players show up in the games that actually matter. A result in the first leg against Bayern would go a long way toward answering that.
What to watch, and a prediction
Bayern's first twenty minutes in the press will tell you most of what you need to know. If PSG can play through it early, the tie opens up. If Bayern suffocate them and score first, it could get very long for the home side.
Prediction: PSG 1-2 Bayern Munich in Paris. Bayern progress on aggregate.
Match context: UEFA Champions League Semi-Final First Leg | Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich | Tuesday 28 April 2026, 21:00 CEST | Parc des Princes, Paris | Return leg: Wednesday 6 May 2026, Allianz Arena, Munich | Overall UEFA head-to-head: Bayern lead 9-6 across 15 meetings, all in the Champions League. Source: UEFA.com, FC Bayern Munich official.
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