

Bayern Munich will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the 2025/26 Champions League, with the first leg on April 28 in Paris and the return match on May 6 in Munich. The winner will advance to the final in Budapest on May 30 against either Arsenal or Atlético Madrid.

Bayern to face PSG in semi-finals
Bayern will face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the 2025/26 Champions League. The first leg in Paris is scheduled for 28 April, with the return fixture in Munich on 6 May. The winner will then compete in the final in Budapest on 30 May against either Arsenal or AtlĂ©tico Madrid. Hereâs the lowdown on PSG and what makes them such a threat.
Since Qatar's sovereign wealth fund bought PSG in 2011 and their subsequent rise to the top of world football, all of their encounters with Bayern have been played at the very highest level. In September 2017, the Bavarians suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes, but FCB later won three consecutive games against Paris sides featuring Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi from the Champions League quarter-finals second leg in April 2021 to March 2023.
The PSG management then changed course and focused less on big stars and more on a close-knit squad, which nevertheless impressed with its individual class. This development culminated in the 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the 2025 Champions League final at the Allianz Arena - the highest winning margin in a final in the competitionâs history. However, on the way to finally being crowned European champions for the first time, Luis Enrique's team were also beaten 1-0 by Bayern at the Allianz Arena in the league phase. âI think we're very similar to Bayern Munich. Both teams want the ball, both press aggressively. The stats say we're very similar,â said the PSG coach for that November 2024 encounter.
The two European heavyweights also met in last summerâs Club World Cup as the Parisians ended a run of four straight defeats at the hands of Bayern to advance to the semi-finals with a 2-0 win. It was a result that perhaps didnât reflect the course of the game, as Vincent Kompanyâs men had their opportunities to eliminate the Champions League holders. They got revenge of sorts in this seasonâs league phase, producing one of their best performances of 2025/26 to earn a 2-1 triumph in Paris.
Both teams had won their opening three fixtures of the league phase prior to Novemberâs meeting at the Parc des Princes. Bayern had brushed aside Chelsea (3-1), Paphos (5-1) and Club Brugge (4-0), while the Parisians had seen off Atalanta (4-0), Barcelona (2-1) and Bayer Leverkusen (7-2). But the first half in the French capital was a real demonstration by Bayern. They pressed high, won their duels and were clinical in front of goal, Luis DĂazstriking twice inside the first 32 minutes.
However, the Colombian was sent off on the stroke of half-time for a foul on Achraf Hakimi, meaning Bayern had to defend their lead with the utmost resolve in the second half. They did just that until JoĂŁo Neves finally got a goal back in the 74th minute, but Jonathan Tah and the defence repelled everything else that came their way. The game was so thrilling that Kompany ran onto the pitch at full-time to celebrate victory with his players. âTomorrow wonât decide whoâs the best team in Europe or the world, but weâll see at the end of the season,â the Belgianâs opposite number Enrique had said ahead of the game. He could be proven right, given the winner of this semi-final tie will likely be the favourites in the Budapest final, on the back of Bayernâs excellent campaign and PSGâs current form.
The holders are once again through to the last four after two relatively comfortable victories over Liverpool in the quarter-finals. Enriqueâs side won 2-0 at home in the first leg through goals from DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ© and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but they had chances for several more. The return leg at Anfield produced the same result as Arne Slotâs team pushed for a way back in, before Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ© put the tie to bed with two late goals.
Before the Qatari acquisition of the club, the Parisians had finished 15th, 16th and 13th in Ligue 1 between 2007 and 2010. Between 2013 and 2025, PSG have been champions 11 times in 13 seasons, a run only interrupted by Monaco in 2017 and Lille in 2021. Recent years have very much filled the clubâs trophy cabinet after a much more modest start since their 1970 founding, when Bayern had already existed for 70 years. A total of 13 league titles, 16 Coupe de France wins and the 1996 European Cup Winners' Cup have now been complemented by the Champions League trophy and the UEFA Super Cup in 2025. The latest honours are an incentive for the current team to remain at the top of Europe.
The Ligue 1 title race this season is proving to be the most exciting in recent years. PSG are top with 63 points, ahead of Lens (59), Lille (53), Marseille, (52), Lyon (51) and Rennes (50). But the champions have games in hand on their opponents, putting them in pole position to retain their title for a fifth straight year.
Apart from central midfielder FabiĂĄn Ruiz, Enrique has had a full squad at his disposal of late. The 30-year-old Spain international picked up his knee injury in the 2-1 loss at Sporting Lisbon in January. However, Bradley Barcola returned to the squad after a month out with an ankle issue and played most of the second half in Liverpool.
FabiĂĄnâs absence would likely affect any team in Europe, but PSGâs squad has no shortage of quality elsewhere. DouĂ©, Kvaratskhelia, DembĂ©lĂ© and Gonçalo Ramos all provide different options up top. The former three have a combined 17 goals in the Champions League this season, split as four for current Ballon dâOr holder DembĂ©lĂ©, five for DouĂ© and eight for Georgiaâs Kvaratskhelia. There are also many young emerging talents in Lucas Beraldo (22 year old), Neves (21), Warren Zaire-Emery (20), Senny Mayulu (19) and Ibrahim Mbaye (18).
Last summerâs transfer window was rather quiet by PSG standards. Centre-back Ilya Zabarnyi and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier were the top new arrivals. Frenchman Chevalier replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma, who then moved to Manchester City, as the new number one. Players such as former Bayern midfielder Renato Sanches (to Panathinaikos) and Randal Kolo Muani (Tottenham Hotspur) were loaned out. While Chevalier played in the league phase encounter with Bayern, heâs since been replaced as first choice by Matvei Safonov, who will likely play in the semi-final meetings. Coach Enrique usually employs a 4-3-3 system in front of the 27-year-old Russian.
The defending European champions have impressed above all with their tactical finesse and flexibility. Ex-Eintracht Frankfurt man Willian Pacho and veteran Marquinhos will likely start in central defence, but Enrique could also bring in former FCB player Lucas HernĂĄndez, who was sent off for an elbow in the Club World Cup clash. In addition, the Parisians have two of world footballâs most coveted full-backs in Nuno Mendes and Hakimi who like to get forward and create numerical advantages in the attacking third.
Vitinha, Neves or Zaire-Emery act as the link between defence and attack in build-up play. Ahead of them, Kvaratskhelia provides dynamism and a change of pace in between the lines, while DembĂ©lĂ© adds additional unpredictability to the French side's attacking play with his dribbling and variable positioning. If Bayern can keep the world-class trio of DouĂ©, DembĂ©lĂ© and Kvaratskhelia in check as much as possible â as they have done in many recent meetings â it will significantly increase their chances of victory. âIt'll be very intense and high class. It's the kind of game we all love to play, where we can show how well we perform as a team,â said Vitinha ahead of Novemberâs clash, adding: âIt'll be one of the challenges we're looking for. What will be key? Difficult⊠As I said, itâll come down to little things - sometimes an individual action, sometimes by the whole team. Maybe the ball will just hit the post, maybe it'll glance off it and go in. It'll be difficult to say what made the difference in the end.â
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PSG's pressing is characterised by collective coordination, targeted trigger points and perfectly orchestrated positioning. They don't wait for mistakes to happen, they force them. The team sees possession as a means to control and gain space. Enrique's side combine surprising changes of position with getting back in a disciplined manner. âWe have players who can perform well in different positions,â said the coach of his team. âWeâre a real example of a team whose players can also change position during the game.â
Even with some absences, like FabiĂĄn, PSG remain one of the most dangerous and modern teams in Europe thanks to the depth of their squad and their tactical versatility. It means both sets of fans and every football lover can look forward to the next showdown between these two European heavyweights.
The first leg is scheduled for April 28, 2025, in Paris.
The Champions League final will take place on May 30, 2026, in Budapest.
PSG won the 2025 Champions League final against Inter Milan with a record 5-0 victory.
Bayern has won three consecutive matches against PSG since their 3-0 defeat in September 2017.

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