The marquee match of the first Champions League game day is set to be the clash between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Last spring, the Bavarians dominated the Parisians in both legs of their European cup playoff (3:0 on aggregate), and now the attacking styles of both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are expected to showcase an open game from the start.
On Friday, Bayern made an emphatic return from a brief international break, thrashing FC Augsburg (3:0). This victory was their sixth in a row, with the Bavarians scoring at least three goals in four of those matches. In their fourth round of the group stage against Benfica (1:0), they secured the win in the second half, demonstrating a significant difference in creativity (1.27-0.08 in xG and 24-1 in shots). It is important to note that Bayern have some squad issues—midfielders Aleksandar Pavlović and João Palhinha will miss the match due to injuries, which could impact their defensive solidity.
PSG's poor performances in the first half of the current Champions League stage have practically dashed their hopes of reaching the top eight. At home against Atlético Madrid (1:2), they created more attacking opportunities (2.09-0.67 in xG), but the sharp counter-attacks of the Madrid side forced the French team to capitulate. However, in Ligue 1, PSG are in top form, dismantling Angers (4:2) and Toulouse FC (3:0) in their last two league matches, with Bradley Barcola leading the league's scoring race (10+2).
Since the 2020 Champions League final, Bayern have beaten PSG three times in four encounters. It might be unwise to risk betting on a victory for the Bavarians, but taking the total over is a safer choice, as both teams love to attack and score, which should not be a problem in this match.
