Bayern Munich Host PSG in Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg: 'No One Steps Back'
Al Jazeera Staff
Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League semi-final second leg after a 5-4 first-leg thriller. Both teams vow to maintain attacking styles, with the winner advancing to the final in Budapest.
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will clash in the Champions League semi-final second leg in the early hours of Thursday (2:00 AM Vietnam time) at Allianz Arena. The first leg in Paris a week ago featured a breathtaking exchange of goals, ending 5-4 in favor of the home side. It was the highest-scoring semi-final in the competition's history.
Both coaches have affirmed they will stick to their attacking philosophies. Bayern boss Vincent Kompany said: 'We absolutely cannot lose what makes us strong. PSG will never change the style that won them the title last year. Will anyone step back? No one accepts that.'
Bayern have already clinched the Bundesliga, scoring 116 goals in 32 domestic league matches – a record. However, their defense has shown vulnerabilities, conceding 16 goals in their last six matches and keeping just one clean sheet. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich declared: 'We won't change our approach in just three days to sit back and defend. We have to win, whether it's 5-4, 3-2, or 1-0.'
On the PSG side, coach Luis Enrique is on the verge of becoming the fifth manager to win three European Cup/Champions League titles, after Carlo Ancelotti, Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane, and Pep Guardiola. He called the first leg 'the best match I have been fortunate to be part of as a coach.' Luis Enrique predicted PSG will need to score three more goals away to eliminate the German champions. His team faces the potential loss of right-back Achraf Hakimi due to a hamstring injury, with Warren Zaire-Emery the likely replacement.
Head-to-head, no match between these two sides has ever ended in a draw after 17 meetings (Bayern 9 wins, PSG 8). The most recent was a 2-1 loss for Bayern in Paris during the Champions League group stage in November 2025.
Expected line-ups:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer – Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Davies – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Musiala, Diaz – Kane.
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Safonov – Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes – Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves – Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
The winner of this tie will face either Arsenal or Atletico Madrid in the final in Budapest on May 30.
