Paris Saint-Germain hosted Bayern Munich for the first leg of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League semi-final at Parc des Princes.
Widely gaining popularity as one of the most entertaining games in football history, this fixture had it all, with the hosts edging past their competitors with a 5-4 win.
PSG and Bayern have two of the most ruthless attacking trios in Europe this season, as evidenced by the quality, speed, and effectiveness of their attacking moves on the night.
Both sides, on several occasions, opened up their opponents with ease, which made for a nerve-wracking game overall.
Through this tactical analysis, we aim to discuss Paris Saint-Germain’s and Bayern Munich’s approach to the game, areas both sides struggled in, and find out where Bayern can hurt PSG in the second leg.
Paris Saint-Germain Vs Bayern Munich Lineups & Formations
Let's look at how Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany fielded their squads.
PSG Lineup Vs Bayern Munich
PSG played in a 4-3-3 formation.
Matvey Safonov started between the sticks.
The back four were Achraf Hakimi (right-back), skipper Marquinhos (right centre-back), Willian Pacho (left centre-back), and Nuno Mendes (left-back).
The latter was replaced by Lucas Hernández (84’).
João Neves, Vitinha, and Warren Zaïre-Emery were the midfield three.
The latter was substituted by Fabián Ruiz at the 64th minute.
Désiré Doué (right) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) were the two wingers, with Ousmane Dembélé as the striker.
Bradley Barcola came on for Doué (70’) and Senny Mayulu for Kvaratskhelia (84’).
Bayern Munich Lineup Vs PSG
Bayern played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Skipper Manuel Neuer started in goal.
Josip Stanišić (right-back), Dayot Upamecano (right centre-back), Jonathan Tah (left centre-back), and Alphonso Davies (left-back) were the back four.
Konrad Laimer replaced the latter at 46 minutes.
Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović played as the double pivot.
The latter made way for Nicolas Jackson (90’ +3).
Michael Olise (right) and Luis Díaz (left) were the two wingers, with Jamal Musiala as the attacking midfielder.
Musiala came off for Leon Goretzka (79’).
Harry Kane played as the lone striker.
Paris Saint-Germain & Bayern Munich Style Of Play
PSG and Bayern share similar identities in their approach to the game.
Both sides are brilliant examples of total football, showcasing frequent positional rotations both in and out of possession.
An example: Vitinha, a centre-midfielder, operates in the wide channel.
He attracts multiple opponents before moving the ball to the half-space.
Meanwhile, the winger moves into the half-space.
For Bayern, Kane frequently dropped deep into midfield to offer an additional option for progression.
Whenever the centre-backs followed him, other teammates exploited the space higher up the pitch.
This was the case with Bayern’s defenders as well.
During a build-up situation for PSG, both Bayern centre-backs (Upamecano and Tah) follow an opponent each deep into the mid-third, while Stanisić also follows an opponent in the half-space.
With defenders from both sides jumping in this manner, there were multiple instances when they delayed the opposition’s progression or even won the ball.
However, there were also scenarios where the opponent bypassed the pressure and went straight to a counterattack.
- Vedant Kharakwal
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