Ahead of clash in Eindhoven: Where FC Bayern are setting standards in Europe

The place in the round of 16 is already secure, FC Bayern are among the best eight teams in the Champions League league phase – and yet the trip to Eindhoven is about more than just duty for the Munich men. After the defeat to FC Augsburg, Vincent Kompany’s are looking to regroup and build on their strong performances up to that point. It’s crucial that Harry Kane and Co concentrate on their own strengths – which include accuracy in front of goal. With 20 goals, the German record champions have been the most prolific side in Europe’s premier club competition this season together with PSG and Arsenal. Read on to find out what the other statistics reveal ahead of the final matchday of the league phase.

Strong record against PSV

Bayern could confidently call themselves PSV Eindhoven’s bogey team. No other club have defeated the Dutch giants as many times (six) in European competition as the German record champions. In eight meetings with PSV in total, the Bavarians have been beaten just once: Ruud van Nistelrooy and Luc Nilis fired the Eindhoven club to a 2-1 victory at home in October 1999.

Bayern’s defensive wall breaking records

That record of success is not the only factor that should give Bayern confidence ahead of Wednesday’s clash. The 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise a week ago not only confirmed FCB’s spot in the last 16, but also saw Manuel Neuer and Co set a new record with the club’s 115th clean sheet in the Champions League. No other team have recorded as many shutouts in the competition as Bayern, who overtook Barcelona and Real Madrid (114 clean sheets each).

At the back and up front, the German record champions are a true top team. The fact that Bayern are also so successful at the attacking end is thanks in large part to Kane. Since his move to Munich ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the striker has scored an impressive 26 goals in the Champions League – no other player has found the net more often in this period (Kylian Mbapé has also scored 26). The England captain is already the club’s third-highest goalscorer in the competition, behind Robert Lewandowski (69) and Thomas Müller (57).

That said, Lennart Karl has been scoring at a similar rate in his young Champions League career so far, with three goals in five outings. The 17-year-old attacker is now on the verge of another milestone: should he feature on Wednesday, it will be his sixth Champions League appearance before his 18th birthday. That would draw him level with Julian Draxler in this statistic, with only Youssoufa Moukoko having made more appearances in Europe’s elite competition before turning 18 (eight).

What Bayern have to be wary of

While Kompany’s men have already qualified for the last 16, PSV are fighting for a place in the play-offs. The Eredivisie leaders are currently in 22nd position, which would see them through to the knockout play-off stage. However, anything other than three points could see them facing elimination, so there’s no question Peter Bosz’s men will be going all out for the win on Wednesday night.

One advantage for the home side is that they have the most efficient attacking player in the competition in their ranks. In just 184 minutes, Couhaib Driouech has contributed three goals and two assists. The Morocco international has therefore been directly involved in a goal every 37 minutes – the best figure of any player who’s completed at least 90 minutes in this Champions League season. Jonathan Tah and Co will certainly need to keep an eye on him.