With Paris Saint-Germain squaring off against Bayern Munich in the FIFA Club World Cup later today, we look back at five classic clashes between the two giants of European football
The two sides faced each other four times in the 1990s, and one memorable match was PSG's 3-1 win over Bayern Munich in the group stage in November 1997. Raí was the star of the match as the Brazilian recorded two assists that night to help fuel their win.
The group stage match in September 2017 marked the first time these two clubs had faced each other since 2000. This matchup belonged to Neymar Jr. as the Brazilian would do his best Raí impersonation, recording two assists in the 3-0 victory.
After the Champions League resumed following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was relocated to Lisbon to finish the knockout stages. PSG had made it past Atalanta and RB Leipzig but fell short of claiming the club's first Champions League title, as former Parisian Kingsley Coman scored the only goal in the final, securing Bayern Munich's victory.
After meeting in the final a year earlier, PSG did get their revenge in the knockout stage. In the first leg, the Ligue 1 side secured a 3-2 road win over the Bundesliga club thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé and two assists from Neymar. Bayern Munich won the second leg 1-0, but PSG advanced due to the away goal rule that was still in effect at the time.
This matchup between the two clubs proved to be the last Champions League tie for Lionel Messi, who would leave PSG in the summer of 2023. Bayern Munich secured a 1-0 win over the Parisians in the first leg at the Parc des Princes and a 2-0 victory at home to advance past the French club.
Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
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