Sports

PSG vs Bayern Munich: Champions League match preview and key stats

Joel Masibo 28th April, 2026 03:35 PM

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) host Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

What you need to know

PSG and Bayern are used to mouth-watering ties, having progressed past Liverpool and Real Madrid respectively in the last eight, and this one can be added to the list. With 38 goals each in the competition this season, the most of any clubs, it is hard not to get excited about this opener in the French capital.

To reach a second consecutive final, Paris must overcome the side who have given them the most trouble in recent seasons. Bayern’s 2-1 victory on Matchday 4 made it five straight wins for the German champions against the Champions League holders.

However, PSG can point to a similar situation to last season in response. Luis Enrique’s side were beaten 2-0 at Arsenal on Matchday 2 in 2024/25 but moved through the gears in the knockout phase and overcame the Gunners 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. PHOTO/https://web.facebook.com/kkvaratskheliaa7

There are potentially intriguing head-to-heads all over the pitch including Marquinhos, who will equal Roberto Carlos’ Brazilian record of 120 appearances in the Champions League, coming up against Harry Kane, who has scored in his last five outings in the competition and has a career-high 12 Champions League goals this season already. Just one of many fascinating duels this tie will throw up.

Key stats

Champions League holders PSG reached a third successive semi-final, a European Cup first for a French club, by beating Liverpool 2-0 in both France and England in the quarter-finals. Eleventh in the league phase, they defeated Monaco 5-4 on aggregate in an all-French knockout phase play-off (3-2 a, 2-2 h) and Chelsea 8-2 in the round of 16 (5-2 h, 3-0 a).

Bayern have won 11 of their 12 games in this season’s Champions League (L1). Second in the league phase, they beat Atalanta in the last 16 (6-1 a, 4-1 h) and Real Madrid in an epic quarter-final (2-1 a, 4-3 h).

This is the sixth season in the last nine in which the teams have met in the Champions League.

Luis Díaz scored twice (4 32) at Parc des Princes on 4 November to help Bayern to a 2-1 victory, the visitors holding on despite losing the Colombian to a red card in first-half added time; João Neves’ 74th-minute reply was Paris’ sole response.

That made it five successive victories against Paris for Bayern, Minjae Kim’s first-half goal securing a 1-0 win in Munich on Matchday 5 last season, and seven wins in the last eight, a run that includes a 1-0 triumph in the 2020 Champions League final in Lisbon thanks to a goal from former Paris winger Kingsley Coman.

Bayern were also 3-0 aggregate winners against Paris in the 2022/23 round of 16 (1-0 a, 2-0 h) having lost on away goals as holders in the 2020/21 quarter-finals (2-3 h, 1-0 a).

Bayern Munich’s forward Harry Kane celebrates his goal against Atalanta on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. PHOTO/https://web.facebook.com/fcbayern.en

PSG have won only three of their last 11 matches against German teams (D2 L6), losing four of the last six.

This is Paris’ third Champions League semi-final against Bundesliga opponents; they beat Leipzig 3-0 in a one-off tie in 2019/20 before losing 0-2 against Borussia Dortmund in 2023/24 (0-1 a, 0-1 h), their last two-legged defeat in the competition.