PSG encounter ‘start of a big week’

The final Champions League home game of the year sees a huge encounter at the Allianz Arena as Bayern welcome Paris Saint-Germain for Matchday 5 of the league phase on Tuesday (kick-off at 9pm CET, live coverage on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app with our text commentary and free web radio). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the match in our preview.

Follow all the build-up to the game on Monday:

Kane ahead of PSG: 'Need to win the rest of our games'

Latest news from Bayern

“We’ve got a big week ahead of us. That starts on Tuesday,” said Harry Kane at the pre-match press conference. He’s not wrong, with the Champions League fixture against PSG being followed by a visit to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday and then a DFB Cup round of 16 tie against holders Bayer Leverkusen next Tuesday. It’s a good thing, then, that Bayern are currently in excellent form. They’ve won their last six games in all competitions and not conceded a single goal in the process. “We’ve worked to create that respect again where the opponent has to say they will have to be really compact, because Bayern want to attack but also not neglect defending,” said board member for sport Max Eberl. “We have confidence in how we want to attack and defence. It’s all working very well at the moment. We want to keep trying to improve,” added captain Manuel Neuer.

The goal against PSG is undoubtedly to make it seven wins in a row and take an important step towards finishing in the top eight of the league phase, which would mean automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Bayern have six points from their first four games, putting them in 17th place, just three points shy of eighth. “Three wins puts you in the play-offs, six in the top eight. It’s not easy looking at the table right now. Some teams still have four tough games, some maybe have some easier games. We want to finish in the top eight. But our main goal first is to win against PSG tomorrow,” said head coach Vincent Kompany at his press conference.

Bayern have a huge week of games coming up:

PSG clash kicks off week of three big games in three competitions

Opponent: Paris Saint-Germain

The Parisians come to Munich in desperate need for points. Luis Enrique’s side have managed only one win from their first four games of the league phase (1-0 against Girona on Matchday 1). They have since lost to Arsenal (2-0) and Atletico Madrid (2-1), as well as drawing 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven. The champions of France top their domestic league comfortably and are still unbeaten, with a six-point advantage over Monaco. “They have a lot of individual quality, speed and a very good coach. It’s a squad with incredible talent. The spaces between the lines are never big, their pressing is good and very aggressive. When they have the ball, they have a clear approach. They’re a really good team,” Kompany added in his analysis of the opponent. “They’re a good team. They try to dominate with possession, but so do we. We want to make that as tough as possible for the opposition,” Kane stated as well.

Read up on the facts ahead of the game:

The facts ahead of Bayern vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Team news

Bayern remain without Joao Palhinha (adductor), Sven Ulreich (personal reasons), Hiroki Ito (metatarsal) and Josip Stanisic (knee). Aleksandar Pavlovic has been taking part in training following his broken collarbone but isn’t yet available.

As for PSG, they come to Munich without ex-FCB defender Lucas Hernandez as he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury. However, Presnel Kimpembe, who has been out for over a year and a half with an Achilles issue, and summer signing Goncalo Ramos, who’s had an ankle injury since August, have both travelled to Bavaria.

What the coaches say

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