Three takeaways from Paris: Bayern now favourites for every trophy! | OneFootball

FC Bayern wins the duel at Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. FCBinside provides three key takeaways from the match.

After a fierce battle and playing with ten men, Bayern won 2-1 at PSG. The match delivered the following insights:

1. Bayern is now the favorite for everything

Bayern celebrated their 16th win in 16 games this season in Paris. Despite the previous 15 victories, the clash with the reigning Champions League winners was the ultimate benchmark—even though they had already beaten Club World Cup champions Chelsea at home.

Before the match, Bayern and PSG were tied at the top of the Champions League standings. So, at the Parc des Princes, the two best teams in Europe met. And in the end, Bayern prevailed against the Parisian superstars.

Vincent Kompany’s team approached the match like a true knockout game. The Bayern stars fought with maximum intensity, man-to-man, across the entire pitch from the very start.

In the first half, the Munich side repeatedly surged forward towards the Paris goal at dizzying speed. After Luis Diaz was sent off just before halftime, the second half turned into a real battle. Bayern defended outstandingly and passionately—all the way up to Harry Kane, who had few offensive moments but fought like a midfield enforcer in the style of Jens Jeremies.

With this impressive victory in the French capital, Bayern have convinced even the last doubters in Europe: They are now favorites to win the Champions League.

At home in the Bundesliga, it’s hard to imagine how they could lose the title now. In the DFB-Pokal, they are determined to finally win the trophy again, and in this competition, too, only they can beat themselves. In short: Bayern are now favorites for everything!

After the win in Paris, it was often emphasized that titles are won in the spring, not in November. That’s true, of course. Still, it’s impressive what Kompany has done with this team in a year. At the end of October 2024, they were soundly beaten 4-1 by FC Barcelona. Even though there was always talk of the “Finale Dahoam,” at that time Bayern were as far from the final as from the moon.

A year later, Bayern sit at the top of the Champions League. But it’s not just the results—the style of play under Kompany also gives fans legitimate hope for the title.

2. Huge statement from Upamecano

All of Bayern’s stars played and fought excellently in Paris. One player who stood out even more was Dayot Upamecano.

The Frenchman not only cleared everything at the back but also covered the entire pitch. Upamecano was even seen battling for the ball at the opponent’s corner flag. Under intense pressing, his passes out from the back were safe and smart. Upamecano delivered a world-class performance against PSG. He received an FCBinside rating of 1.

Photo: IMAGO

His performance was also a huge statement regarding his contract extension at Bayern. The 27-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he could leave Munich on a free transfer. Bayern would like to keep him, but Upamecano’s camp is reportedly making high demands—such as a hefty signing bonus and a release clause. For sporting director Max Eberl and his team, it’s a balancing act, as they actually want to further reduce squad costs.

In the battle to keep Upamecano, Bayern must avoid making financial mistakes—but he showed in Paris that he has world-class quality. Yes, Upamecano has made a few errors during his time at Bayern. But losing an Upamecano in this Paris form would be truly painful for Bayern.

3. Diaz must control his temper

Luis Diaz was also on course for top marks in Paris. The Colombian scored twice, and before the 2-0, he won the ball back brilliantly himself. Diaz was dangerous in attack and worked hard defensively. But just before halftime, he took out his opponent Achraf Hakimi and, after a video review, was shown a red card. The foul, that hard and at midfield, was absolutely unnecessary.

Diaz’s sending off completely changed the game. Bayern, now a man down, had to make tactical adjustments; in the second half, it was all about fighting and defending the lead. It could have backfired—and then Diaz would have had to take responsibility.

Diaz must control his temper in such situations. His teammates felt the same way after the red card in Paris.

Josip Stanisic summed it up: “If Lucho does something like that again, he just has to be smarter: don’t go to ground at all, but if he wants to foul, just hold him. Then he gets a yellow, it’s a tactical foul, and everything’s fine.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.