In the context of the first leg of the Champions League semi-final matches, Paris Saint-Germain seeks in its match on Tuesday to maintain its European title against Bayern Munich, the German favorite to win the competition title for the seventh time in its history, in light of the wonderful performance of the team of Belgian coach Vincent Kompany. In addition to Ousmane Dembele, Paris Saint-Germain relies on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while Bayern Munich has lethal weapons led by Michael Oliseh and Harry Kane.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 19:16 Last updated: 04/28/2026 - 19:31

Paris Saint-Germain of France and Bayern Munich of Germany will begin the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday. The first is seeking to maintain its European title, while the second is the most nominated to win the competition title for the seventh time in its history, in light of the wonderful performance of the Belgian coach Vincent Kompany’s team.

The Bavarian giant emerged victorious in the last five Champions League matches against the Qatari-owned team, but the latter eliminated them with two goals in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup last summer.

Read also: Champions League: matches, results and analysis

Kompany explained the importance of the confrontation after securing the domestic league title for the 35th time, saying, “Paris in the Champions League, as the defending champion, is probably the most difficult challenge. I do not want to stop here. Now come the crucial weeks. We are looking forward to them, but we also know how difficult they are.”

His midfielder, Joshua Kimmich, added, "We reached the semi-finals with two wins (over Real Madrid). I believe that the best teams in Europe are now preparing to meet in the semi-finals."

The matches have always been exciting between the two sides, which have the strongest attack in the current version (38 goals), and have witnessed several cases of expulsion in recent years.

In addition to its star, who won the Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembélé, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain can rely in the confrontation on Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the man of major appointments, while German Bayern Munich has a deadly weapon in the form of Frenchman Michael Oliseh, who continues to impress everyone in his second season in Bavaria.

Kvaratskhelia... Addicted to big dates

Since joining Paris in January 2025, the Georgian striker has proven to be an indispensable asset in crucial moments for his club.

In the spring of 2025, during Saint-Germain's first European coronation campaign, "Kfara" scored in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and then in the final match against Italian Inter Milan (5-0) at the Allianz Arena.

This season, the former Napoli winger continued the same rhythm, scoring five goals in the knockout rounds. In total, he contributed decisively to 13 goals, with eight goals and five assists, the best record in his team.

The 25-year-old player has a secret weapon for which competing defenses have not yet found a solution: a quick start from the left side, a deep dribble on his right foot, and then a perfect shot into the far corner.

He has also become more diversified in his roles, which is what Spanish coach Luis Enrique requires of his players. This season, due to repeated absences, the Georgian, who has largely avoided injuries, filled all the front-line positions, sometimes even playing deep.

He said in November, “Everyone knows that I like to play on the left side, but in football you must be able to adapt and play in more than one position. It is not always easy because I used to play a lot on the left, but I hope to be just as efficient on the right in the future,” noting also that he learned how to perform defensive roles better under Enrique’s leadership.

In his first full season with the Parisian club, he waited a long time before shining, which gave the impression that he preferred the Champions League. However, the player who was one of the keys to the continental crown last year thanks to his great effort and defensive roles, returned today to shine with all his strength.

His brilliance was not limited to the European arena, but extended to the French League as well, as happened Wednesday against Nantes when he scored a brace in the victory (3-0).

For his part, Enrique said, "Some may think that he only plays for the Champions League, but for me he is a high-class player all year round, and he has a strong personality that he shows in every match without exception."

Oliseh...is unpredictable

On the other hand, Oliseh continues to break records this season in various competitions. After a successful first season in Munich, during which he scored 20 goals and provided 23 assists, during which he was crowned the best goal maker in the league (15 assists), he returned to rise further this season with remarkable numbers of 19 goals and 29 assists.

From his position on the right wing, where he shines remarkably, Oliseh adds a touch of elegance to ball control, in addition to his speed and great ability to surprise, which makes him an absolutely unexpected player. He also has his own distinctive movement, as was evident in his last wonderful goal against Mainz on Saturday (4-3), which brought to mind the style of the Dutchman Arjen Robben.

For his English colleague Harry Kane, Oliseh is “the best winger in the world right now. He creates a huge number of chances and is not afraid to dribble.” As for former Portuguese star Luis Figo, he sees him as “among the most prominent candidates to win the Ballon d’Or, not in the future, but starting this year.”

For his part, Marcel Desailly praised his compatriot, saying, "He is a real attacking engine for Bayern Munich. Simply put, he is an amazing player: his style of play, the way he handles the ball, and the discipline he shows within the system are all exceptional."

Oliseh has a contract with Bayern until 2029, and the Bavarian club seems calm and even reassured despite the interest of major clubs in contracting with him.

Former English star Steven Gerrard added on the TNT Sports network: “Why would he leave Bayern? It is a great club competing for the greatest titles, and perhaps the best version of Bayern in years. He seems like a happy and completely stable young man.”

France 24/AFP

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