🔊 Paris or Munich: Who will make it to the semifinals? The Club World Cup is reaching its climax with the quarterfinals upon us. The standout fixture is the one you're reading about right now. PSG and Bayern are set to clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This marks their second encounter this season, and despite Bayern clinching victory in the first, bookmakers are tipping the Parisians as favorites. Will Luis Enrique's side get their revenge?

Head-to-Head

📊 Matches between these teams are considered classics of European football. In the past decade alone, PSG and Bayern have clashed eight times in the Champions League. The Bavarians hold the upper hand with six victories compared to just two for the Parisians. In recent years, the "Reds" have been utterly dominant, securing four consecutive clean-sheet wins. The most common scoreline has been 1-0 in favor of the German giants, a result that occurred in 4 of their last 6 encounters.

Paris Saint-Germain Team Overview

🔵 In the United States, the Parisian team arrived as the tournament favorites, having swept all possible trophies this season. So far, they have lived up to their billing. Yes, there was an unexpected defeat against Botafogo (0-1) during the group stage when the "Red and Blues" couldn't break down the Brazilian "bus," but they still advanced confidently, topping the group with a goal difference of 6-1.

🔴 Luis Enrique's protégés further improved this goal difference in the Round of 16. Their match against Inter Miami lacked suspense from the start. A group of aging stars, despite their past glory, couldn't compete with Europe's strongest team, and PSG proved it by scoring four unanswered goals by halftime. The Parisians could have scored more if they wanted, but chose to conserve energy in the second half.

🔝 The standout player against Miami was João Neves, who registered his first contributions of the tournament. The Portuguese player scored twice, initiating the rout. Also noteworthy were Achraf Hakimi, who consistently dominated the right flank and scored in his second consecutive match, and Vitinha, who provided an assist. The midfielder has received some of the highest ratings in the team throughout all four matches of the tournament and is a key figure in Enrique's setup.

Bayern Munich Team Overview

🔴 Bayern have had a rather inconsistent season. They faced significant personnel issues, leading to an early exit from the Champions League. Nevertheless, they didn't finish trophyless, reclaiming the Bundesliga title. The jubilant Munich side stormed into the FIFA Club World Cup with a 10-0 demolition of semi-professional Auckland, but then encountered notable challenges. They edged past Boca Juniors with a 2-1 victory, but fell to Benfica in the battle for the top spot in the group, losing 2-1 under Vincent Kompany's management.

⚪ In the Round of 16, the "Reds" faced a less daunting opponent in Flamengo. The Brazilian side attempted to create some drama, delivering an exciting match for the fans, but ultimately headed home. Bayern triumphed 4-2, with Harry Kane netting a brace. The Englishman scored twice from two shots on target and was deservedly named Man of the Match.

🔝 However, the top performer for Bayern in terms of goal contributions remains Michael Olise, who leads the Club World Cup in this category (3 goals and 2 assists), despite spending less time on the pitch than Kane. The Frenchman joined Bayern a year ago and has not been overshadowed by the star-studded squad.

Latest news

Paris Saint-Germain

📌 Currently, PSG are ranked as the second favorites for the tournament. According to the statistical portal Opta, the Parisians have a 35.6% chance of reaching the final and a 24.9% chance of winning it all.

🎙 "I'm very happy; I liked how we started the match. We handled things well and created many dangerous opportunities. There were fewer chances in the second half, but I'm pleased with everything. I'm satisfied with all the players; they approached this game with the right mindset," said Luis Enrique about the clash with Inter Miami.

📝 According to some sources, both Man United and Al-Nassr are interested in acquiring Fabián Ruiz. However, Luis Enrique counts on the Spanish midfielder and values his contribution to the team's success.

✅ PSG head into their match against Bayern with a full squad. Ousmane Dembélé, who missed the start of the tournament, is back in action, having played 30 minutes against Inter Miami. The Frenchman is likely to start.

Bayern Munich

📌 Opta analysts give Bayern just a 14.8% chance of winning the tournament. Their odds of reaching the final stand at 23.3%.

🎙 "I think the match against Flamengo was great for the fans. We're happy to advance to the next round. PSG? We'll see what we need for that game. Right now, the most important thing is to rest. We need to recharge our energy. Two top teams will face off on a big stage. We'll be ready for it," said Vincent Kompany.

📝 Bild reports that Bayern are seriously targeting Luis Díaz. The Colombian is open to leaving Liverpool, and Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl is already in talks with his representatives.

⭐️ Jamal Musiala is Bayern's new number ten. One of the standout talents of his generation, he will now wear the number 10 jersey, previously held by Leroy Sané.

❌ Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito, both long-term absentees, will miss the match against Paris. Kingsley Coman picked up a knock in the game against Flamengo, but it's not considered serious, so the Frenchman is likely to be fit for the clash against his former club.

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

Matches featuring PSG and Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup tend to be rich in yellow cards. Their averages stand at 3.8 and 5.3 respectively. Considering that their head-to-head clashes are often quite rough (with at least four yellow cards shown in 7 of their last 8 meetings), we anticipate the referee will frequently reach for his pocket. With a semifinal spot at stake, expect plenty of fouls and hard tackles. Our pick is over 3.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Despite their star-studded lineups, these teams surprisingly manage to produce low-scoring encounters time and again. It's time to break this trend. Both Paris and Bayern have been prolific on U.S. soil, so we anticipate at least three goals in this matchup, if not a goal fest. Over 2.5 goals seems like a promising bet, especially since it has hit in 12 of Bayern's last 14 matches.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Today's opponents have dominated nearly every match in this tournament, so it's no surprise they boast high corner stats. PSG averages 7 corners per game, while Bayern averages 6.5. Paris also enjoys more ball possession (72% compared to 67%), leading bookmakers to favor them in corner kicks. While we don't dispute this, we also believe Bayern will meet their usual mark—they've taken at least 4 corners in their last 8 meetings with Paris and in 21 consecutive matches overall. These trends can't be ignored, so we're betting on over 4.5 corners from Bayern.

We're in for a fascinating and unpredictable match-up. Paris are stronger as a team and have the edge in coaching, with Vincent Kompany falling short against the seasoned Luis Enrique on all fronts. On the flip side, Bayern hold an advantage in physicality, crucial during set pieces, and boast an elite finisher in Harry Kane, who can make a difference in any game. It's tough to favor one side, so we won't pick a winner here. Our prediction is a 2-2 draw.

Four consecutive head-to-head meetings without both teams scoring – has this streak gone on too long? This was the question our editorial team pondered when choosing the main bet. After weighing the pros and cons, we concluded that a bet on both teams to score (yes) should come through this time. While Paris and Bayern sometimes struggle to break down defensive setups, in an open game, they should find and capitalize on their chances.