Champions League: Top Two to Clash in Paris

Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich

The early UEFA Champions League table has a familiar look to it with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Inter Milan all in the top five, with three wins from three games.

And in the SBOTOP clash of the week, reigning European champions and current league leaders, Paris Saint-Germain host six times winners Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night. This is a heavyweight clash, a box office draw and a potential pre-run of the 2026 final to be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest in May.

Luis Enrique’s PSG dispatched another Bundesliga giant last time out with a spectacular 7-2 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen, while Bayern were equally ruthless in their 4-0 hammering of Club Brugge. And Vincent Kompany’s side come into the game on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Leverkusen, to maintain a five points lead at the top of the Bundesliga, while Paris Saint-Germain are back at the top of the Ligue 1 table after they edged out Nice 1-0.

 

Talking Points

Doue out, Dembele back for PSG

Just as key man Ousmane Dembele is working his way back to full fitness; Enrique has another headache to deal with as livewire forward Desire Doue has been ruled out for around two months after tearing a thigh muscle during PSG’s 1-1 draw with Lorient last Wednesday. Since his arrival in Paris, after switching from Rennes in 2024, the 20 year old Doue has established himself as a vital part of PSG’s creative unit, scoring seven goals in 37 games and, alongside Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he has the ball skills to dazzle and devastate.

But then so does Dembele and, after missing six weeks since being injured on international duty, the 2025 Ballon D’Or winner returned as a substitute during PSG’s annihilation of Leverkusen and, after making appearances against Brest and Lorient, Dembele came on again in the 72^nd minute of the victory over Nice, when his team was pushing for a winner. The goal that kept PSG top of the league came as late as the 94^th minute when Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos eventually broke the Nice resistance.               

In other Champions League 2025 news emerging from Paris; the only fallout from PSG’s win over Leverkusen was the two red cards handed out in the first half, which means Ukrainian centre back Illia Zabarnyi will sit this one out. 

 

15 and counting for Bayern

Missing a key defender for this clash with the Germans is not good news for the hosts as Bayern come into the game having won the first 15 games of their campaign, across all competitions. This is an unprecedented run for the Bavarians at the start of the season, and a record across Europe’s top five leagues. It began with a win over VfB Stuttgart in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup and Bayern’s comprehensive victory over Die Werkself made it 15, but now they face their biggest test so far. 

Bayern’s front line, with the ever improving Michael Olise, the in-form Serge Gnabry and summer signing Luis Diaz is frightening enough; but when you add in the record breaking goal machine Harry Kane, then defenders across Europe must be suffering nightmares. The England captain has scored an incredible 22 goals in 13 games this season and, after missing out against Leverkusen, he will be on the hunt again on Tuesday.

Kane, Olise and Diaz all started that game on the bench by the way.           

 

History

With eight UEFA Champions League wins to six the Bavarians have had the better of the head to head results and they have won the last four, all tight affairs, three 1-0 wins and a 2-0.  Prior to that PSG won 3-2 in the 2021 Quarter final fist leg, but the most famous of all meetings came in 2020 when a Kingsley Coman goal gave Bayern a victory in the Parisians’ first ever Champions League final.      

And Bayern’s form, 15 wins from 15, gives them another edge over PSG who have three wins and three draws from their last six games.

The latest Champions League 2025 betting odds back both these clubs to reach the last four of the competition and PSG are joint favourites to lift the trophy, alongside Premier League leaders Arsenal. So let’s take a look at the odds and make a call on this game, which will reveal a lot about both clubs.

 

Betting Tip

Despite Bayern’s sensational 100 per cent start this season the hosts are the marginal favourites to win this clash at odds of 2.40, with the visitors priced at 2.55. Enrique has more selection worries than Kompany and the Bavarians will take some stopping.

But the Bundesliga giants’ 100 per cent run will come to an end at some time… and this visit to Paris must be a serious candidate.  

   

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