Why Bayern Munich will still beat PSG in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals
Bayern Munich lost their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg with Paris Saint-Germain, but will be confident of getting the result they need to turn the tie around on home soil and reach the final...
Most teams would have wilted after falling 5-2 down at the home of Champions League holders PSG, but not Bayern. They cut the deficit to 5-4 and very nearly rescued a draw as Joshua Kimmich's late header was cleared off the line.
The record Bundesliga champions now need just one goal without reply to level the tie at the Allianz Arena, where they've dropped points just twice in all competitions so far this season and scored two or more in all six of their Champions League fixtures en route to the last four.
Watch: Reaction to Bayern's 'game of the century' against PSG
Bayern's nose for goal is no surprise, given the sheer qualify of the club's preferred attacking triumverate of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz. All three scored at the Parc des Princes to take their combined tally in 2025/26 to 100 competitive goals - a first for a Bayern trio this millennium.
The last trinity to hit a single-season century for a club in Europe's top five leagues? None other than Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez (111, 2016/17).
Watch: Seven Bayern players made the Bundesliga Team of the Season
What's more, with the club's 34th Bundesliga title sewn up, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany had the luxury of heavily rotating his starting XI for the visit of Heidenheim, and the likes of Kane, Díaz, Olise and Joshua Kimmich even had a 45-minute run-out in the second half.
Ligue 1 leaders PSG, by contrast, still needed the points to hold off title-chasing Lens, while Luis Enrique has been rocked by news of a hamstring injury to influential wing-back Achraf Hakimi, who has already been ruled out of the second leg.
Perhaps of greatest significance is Kompany's return to the dugout following a first-leg touchline ban. The Belgian's presence, as well as his all-round influence on his players, staff and the Bayern fan base could be the decisive factor in the tie.
"When you concede five goals in the Champions League, you're basically out, but we scored four goals in Paris," Kompany said after watching the highest-scoring semi-final of the Champions League era from the stands.
"We've shown we can score goals, and the belief is certainly there - especially with our fans behind us. We need our fans and their support with the same passion we had [in the win] against Real Madrid."
