Suddenly, everyone's talking about FC Barcelona! A worrying development at FC Bayern emerges ahead of the showdown against PSG

One by one, they began discussing the autumn of 2024. Sporting director Max Eberl, manager Vincent Kompany, and—curiously—even goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who was still with 1. FC Köln in the 2. Bundesliga and had not yet joined FC Bayern. That autumn, during Kompany's early days in Munich, Bayern lost 1–4 to FC Barcelona in the Champions League group stage and had earlier drawn 3–3 with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. As now, critics questioned the team's high-risk, high-pressing, man-marking defence.

"I'm not worried about that," Eberl replied, echoing Kompany and Urbig: "We had that last year too. We lost 1–4 in Barcelona and then kept eight clean sheets." In truth, the run lasted only seven matches, but the seventh was a 1–0 home win over PSG. That scoreline would at least force extra time in Wednesday's return leg, though, given the 4-5 first-leg thriller, another 1-0 between these two attacking heavyweights looks unlikely.

Nevertheless, the Munich players are hoping for another run of clean sheets; yet they categorically rule out any change in tactics. Understandably, it is precisely this style of play that has put FC Bayern in their current, highly comfortable position: league champions, cup finalists, realistic chances of reaching the Champions League final for the first time since 2020, and a host of scoring records. Yet, against elite attackers such as Barcelona or PSG, even a momentary lapse can be punished.

Immediately after the Paris thriller, sporting director Eberl rejected the idea of tightening up defensively for the return leg; instead, he demanded even more goals. That approach feels more realistic than replicating the kind of clean-sheet run that tamed Barcelona all those years ago. Recalling the autumn of 2024, Eberl again championed Munich's—and Paris's—high-octane brand of football on Saturday.

"You don't want to change the core DNA," Eberl stated. "The match against Paris on Tuesday was absolutely brilliant. That's what football is all about: attack. People often say, 'Yes, but the defence.' We could also have games where the defence dominates, where the scoreline is 1-0 from a corner. But we've chosen the DNA of active football.'

According to Urbig, who as the goalkeeper naturally bears the brunt of the goals conceded, the tally is "nothing to get worked up about and say, 'Oh my God!'" On Wednesday, Urbig will once again make way for captain Manuel Neuer in the Munich goal. Like several other regulars, Neuer was rested for the match against Heidenheim.

Joshua Kimmich, Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise all came on at half-time, with Olise eventually forcing a late equaliser with a long-range shot. Kimmich echoed the collective resolve, adding, "Looking ahead, when we start the new season or in the coming weeks, we'll naturally make a few adjustments and get down to analysing things." Kompany admitted his side is currently "conceding too many goals", although the numbers show they have been somewhat unlucky: PSG scored five goals from an xG of 1.91, while Heidenheim found the net three times from an xG of 2.13.

Similar debates are underway at PSG, yet there, too, no systemic change is forthcoming. Coach Luis Enrique brushed off criticism of his side's defending at a Friday press conference, retorting, "You don't have to respect rubbish opinions." The next day, PSG stuck to its guns and, much like Bayern with a fully rotated XI, drew 2-2 at FC Lorient.

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