PSG was one of four clubs in the UCL to have gone undefeated in the group stage. Though they only won
four of their six matches, both of them came against eventual Group H winner Benfica. Paris looked
good in both of their victories over Juventus and Maccabi Haifa FC, helping the reigning Ligue 1
champions advance into the Round of 16 for the 11th consecutive season. To no one’s surprise, Kylian
Mbappe is tied for the lead in goals in Champions League action, finding the back of the net seven times
through the group stage. In their league action, PSG is well on its way to another French title, as they
lead second-place Marseille by eight points.
Tuesday’s broadcast schedule (All times U.S./Eastern):
UEFA Champions League Today, 2 p.m., CBS and Paramount+
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m., CBS and Paramount+
AC Milan vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 3 p.m., Paramount+
UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, 5 p.m., CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
Munich is once again looking to turn league success into UCL success. The club, which had won 10
consecutive Bundesliga championships, is hanging on to the top spot in Germany, and is feeling good
after an exceptional group state. Like PSG, Bayern went unbeaten in the opening matches of this season,
but unlike everyone else, the club went a perfect 6-0-0 through the preliminary round. Scoring has come
by committee after their legendary striker, Robert Lewandowski, left for Barcelona. Nonetheless, Bayern
has the tools to move into the Champions League quarterfinals for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.
PSG initially feared Mbappe might miss the match completely, but it appears — if true — he will be
available if needed. Even without the French star, PSG stills has excellent offensive options in Lionel
Messi and Neymar.
Whether or not this news on Mbappe comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it would be a big assist
to Bayern Munich to even have Mbappe off the pitch for even some of the match. Should PSG fall
behind early, it will be interesting to see how long Christophe Galtier waits to bring in his mega-star — if
this report is correct.
Like anything at this stage, though, fans will have to see Mbappe on the bench, to believe it.
In the blue corner, we have Paris Saint-Germain, the unashamed and unalloyed poster boys for
football’s sovereign wealth fund era.
Owned by a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority, France’s most successful team indisputably
belong to the Qatari government and they do not try to hide it. Under that ownership, PSG have become
one of the biggest, richest and most valuable clubs in the world.
The return of Champions League action this season couldn’t possibly come at a worse time for PSG as
they gear up to play German champions Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Round of 16 series.
Dealing with a host of injuries that have stymied their domestic form, PSG will limp into the UEFA
continental competition’s knockout stage amid a miserable run of matches that has seen their Ligue 1
dominance challenged.
Bayern also face a fierce battle domestically, sitting just a point above Union Berlin and three clear of
Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table. They suffered through a damaging string of draws in
January, but have responded with a pair of consecutive league wins.
Both sides are injury stricken up front, with PSG sweating the fitness of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi,
while Bayern continue to be without the services of Sadio Mane. This match will feature a number of
international stars, but the game could also be won or lost by players with a smaller but equally
important role to play.
Despite PSG’s struggles of late, they are only a slight underdog at home, with both clubs sporting plus
odds on the moneyline.
One thing bookmakers seem to agree on, however, is that the game will feature a significant amount of
goals. The total is up to 3.5 goals, while both teams to score is swung decidedly in favor of the “yes”
selection. This despite the injuries to PSG’s attacking front, which has seen the Parisian’s front line
present far less danger in domestic play of late.
