The draw for the Champions League round of 16 has thrown up a cracking tie between FC Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain! Hamit Altintop, former Bayern player and ambassador for final host city Istanbul, pulled out the names in Monday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Let’s get reacquainted with the club from the French capital:
Ex-Bayern player Hamit Altintop drew FC Bayern against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.
Neck-and-neck race with Benfica
It went down to the wire between PSG and Benfica for top spot in Group H. The two sides finished with the same number of points, goals scored and goals conceded, while their head-to-head record was also even. In the end, the Lisbon club went through as group winners due to their superior number of away goals scored. After several failed attempts, the French champions are bidding to finally win the Champions League for the first time in their history this season.
Kingsley Coman’s headed goal brought delight for Bayern in the Champions League final against PSG in August 2020.
Bayern fans will recall recent meetings with PSG with mixed emotions. After a total of eight encounters (three Bayern wins, five PSG wins) in the group stage of Europe’s premier club competitions, the Munich men triumphed 1-0 over the French side in the 2020 Champions League final thanks to Kingsley Coman’s winning header. Paris got revenge in their most recent clash, though, coming out on top in the 2020/21 quarter-finals on the away goals rule - which is no longer in effect this season - after a 3-2 win in Munich and a 1-0 defeat in Paris.
Nice to see you again
Knows the opponents well: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was a PSG player from 2018 to 2020.
The French giants are slightly ahead in the overall head-to-head with six wins to FCB’s five, but as well as the confidence from UCL success in 2020, Bayern have two PSG experts in their ranks. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Kingsley Coman will help when it comes to stopping the star-studded attack of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. There are also two former Bayern players in Christophe Galtier’s squad in the form of Juan Bernat and Renato Sanches.
Six highlights - The story of the group stage:
Return leg at Allianz Arena
The first leg will be played on either 14/15 or 21/22 February 2023, followed by the second leg on 7/8 or 14/15 March 2023. As group winners, Bayern will travel to Parc des Princes first.
Oliver Kahn, FC Bayern CEO who was in attendance in Nyon, gave his immediate reaction to the draw: “We’ve had experiences with Paris - one very positive. They‘re one of the toughest opponents you can get. We know exactly what we’re up against and I think they’ll be two highly attractive games.”
Here you’ll find the full reaction to the draw:
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