Bayern Munich – PSG

The Parisians won’t let themselves be beaten in Munich.

The first leg of PSG–Bayern semifinal will forever go down in the history of European football. The opponents resembled two crafty punchers who stepped into the ring and right after the bell forgot about defense, showering each other with a hail of blows. Nine goals scored became a record for Champions League semifinals. Previously, the teams had managed to score seven apiece on two occasions. This semifinal also became the first in history with five goals scored before halftime. The individual records of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Harry Kane could be described at length. If we talk about the practical side, the opponents' actions led to a terrible headache for Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique. At one point in the second half the score in PSG's favor stood at 5-2. This looked like a critical result for Bayern, but the Munich side quickly managed to pull it back with two goals. The final score of 5-4 in favor of the French champions leaves Bayern with good chances ahead of the return leg in Germany. Bookmakers identified the home team as favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.65 on their victory. It seems that for the amazing football machine that Bayern has become this season, coming back by one goal on their home turf against any club in the world is a solvable task. However there are a few nuances. Firstly, even the still-hobbled Real Madrid in the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League exposed a large number of weak spots in Bayern's defense, including in the goalkeeping line, which, thanks to Oliver Kahn and Manuel Neuer for the past decades, has been regarded as one of the strongest in the world. Additionally, PSG's away matches in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals showed that away from home the Parisians seem to play almost more comfortably. At least Matvey Safonov did not concede a goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, nor against Liverpool at Anfield. And what rapid counterattacks Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia, Due and Dembele can unleash is something football fans don't need to be told. It seems that the opponents' chances in the return match are equal. If we take into account PSG's already gained advantage in the first leg, then one should bet on the visitors.