5 reasons why Bayern Munich will struggle against Paris Saint-Germain tonight
Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to exact revenge on Bayern Munich for their loss in the UEFA Champions League final last year.
Bayern Munich will take on Paris Saint-Germain in a rematch of last year's UEFA Champions League final tonight. It is arguably the most high-profile match of the quarter-finals as two of these European stalwarts lock horns at the Allianz Arena tonight.
Bayern Munich's hopes of winning a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title received a major boost as they beat their closest title rivals, RB Leipzig, by a goal to nil this past weekend. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain's quest to retain the Ligue 1 title took a major hit as they lost 1-0 to Lille over the weekend to fall to second place.
However, we could yet see Paris Saint-Germain spring a surprise on Bayern Munich. Here, we take a look at five reasons why Bayern Munich will struggle against Paris Saint-Germain tonight.
#5 Bayern Munich will be vulnerable to Paris Saint-Germain's counter-attacks
Both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are excellent at transitioning from defence to attack. The Bavarians are adept at playing the possession game and Paris Saint-Germain ought to be content with trying to break on the counter tonight.
This is because in recent weeks they have settled down well under Mauricio Pochettino and could prove to be a major threat on the counter. Bayern Munich's gegenpressing style of defending leaves them vulnerable at the back.
Bayern Munich concede 1.63 through balls per game, according to FBref while Paris Saint-Germain thread at least 2.35 through balls every game. With the pace of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Moise Kean, Bayern Munich defenders will struggle to contain their opposition if they afford them the opportunity to hit them on the counter.
#4 Kylian Mbappe and co. can disrupt Bayern Munich's high-line and defensive plans
Bayern Munich are known to hold a high-line which enables them to play the possession game whilst keeping the ball in the opposition's half. However, it is not often that you come across an opposition that has players who are as skilful and as pacy as Kylian Mbappe.
This could majorly disrupt Bayern Munich's game plan as the defenders will need to be extra cautious when it comes to playing their passes. In addition to that, Paris Saint-Germain's full-back push way up the field and play almost as forwards when they are in possession.
This could confuse the Bayern Munich defenders as they'll be divided over which player to pick up and which player to let free.