PSG season defined by Champions League clashes vs. Bayern

Timing is everything, as the cliché goes, and for PSG, there has never been a better time for them this season. There's never been a better time for them to finally play as a team, to finally react, turn up and perform to their expected best. There's never been a better time for this squad to find the cohesion and the balance required at this level. For Neymar to respond to his (many) critics. For the fans to believe again that this squad can go all the way in this Champions League campaign. The list goes on.

Tuesday's clash against Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday is so much more than a round-of-16 first leg in the Champions League. For a start, there is so much at stake for the Ligue 1 leaders. This is a game that could save their season or keep it buried.

Since the start of 2023, the Parisians have already lost four games in all competitions: all four were away from home, with league defeats Lens, Rennes and Monaco, and a humbling French Cup exit to rivals Marseille. That's as many as in the whole of 2022!

No offence to the quartet that bested PSG at some point over the past six weeks, but Bayern are a significant step up in opponent: the Bundesliga side are stronger, bigger and tougher. Lionel Messi & Co. will have to be at their best to knock them out over two legs, something they've not been for a while.

One can't even remember their last complete, convincing performance. Too many times this season, even before the World Cup, manager Christophe Galtier has relied on the individual talents of Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi to win games by themselves or to get the team out of tough moments. Now, more than ever, things are tough.

This team does not defend well. Too many players are