Bayern Munich still need a point to finish in the UEFA Champions League top two, while PSV Eindhoven must win to guarantee a playoff spot.
Peter Bosz will be under pressure to deliver the right result to help his side progress into the UEFA Champions League playoffs. PSV Eindhoven have no worries when it comes to the Eredivisie, where they are top of the table with an incredible 14 points lead over second-placed Feyenoord; however, there is a lot to achieve on the European front as they prepare to host Bayern Munich.
Matchday 7 saw PSV lose to Newcastle United away from home, which left them in the 22nd spot, and only separated from 32nd-placed Ajax by two points. Hence, depending on the result on Wednesday, things can go in either direction, meaning Bosz’s side certainly needs a win to guarantee a playoff spot, although they cannot finish any higher than 16th place.
PSV have had a tough set of fixtures in this season’s Champions League group phase, but they have recorded some sensational wins. Those have come against Napoli and Liverpool, but they have also managed to lose out against Union Saint-Gilloise and Atletico Madrid, which does make this upcoming home clash with Bayern Munich their most important game of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany will seek answers from his players after losing at home in the Bundesliga against FC Augsburg. While the result barely created a dent in their Bundesliga title race, the manager will not have wanted the momentum disrupted.
On the European front, Kompany’s men are all but guaranteed a top-eight finish, but Bayern Munich will want to finish in the top two. A point is all that is required for the Bavarian giants to seal a top-two spot, although a loss could make things complicated, given Real Madrid and Liverpool sit just three points behind them in the standings.
There is some context to why finishing in the top two is key for Bayern Munich, as such an end to their campaign will ensure they play all of their second-leg knockout games at home until the semi-finals. Secondly, they may not be able to meet leaders Arsenal, a team that have inflicted their solitary defeat in the competition until the final of the tournament. Only the former reason will be key here, but Kompany will want to seal the top two finish, and it will take just a single point.
Team News & Tactics
PSV Eindhoven
Peter Bosz will have to make his selection decisions based on the best available options, Given PSV have a long injury list. Nick Olij, Ruben van Bommel, Anass Salah-Eddine, Myron Boadu, Sergino Dest, and Ricardo Pepi are all out of contention.
The latter’s absence might be felt given his importance to PSV’s attacking setup. The hosts will also miss Yarek Gasiorowski through a suspension, while Bosz will want his key midfielders, Joey Veerman and Mauro Junior, to match the intensity of the Bayern Munich midfield to stand a chance of a result in this game.
In Pepi’s absence, veteran Ivan Perisic might be preferred on the left flank, while Dennis Man and Paul Wanner will support Ismael Saibari in the final third, with the Moroccan international leading the line for PSV Eindhoven against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kovar; Sildillia, Schouten, Obispo, Fernandez; Junior, Veerman; Man, Wanner, Perisic; Saibari
Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany would have hoped at the start of the campaign that this particular game would have been where he could rest most of his key stars, but the team still has a target in mind. So, key men like Michael Olise, Joshua Kimmich and Harry Kane are expected to start on Wednesday.
Bayern Munich also have a long list of absentees, including Raphael Guerreiro, Konrad Laimer, Josip Stanisic, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye due to injuries. Defender Kim Min-jae is suspended for this one, meaning Jonathan Tah and Hiroki Ito will form the central defensive partnership, while Kimmich might play right-back in the absence of Laimer.
Serge Gnabry missed the weekend with an illness, and it remains to be seen whether he returns for this one. He might get a place on the bench if he makes a comeback from the issue, as Kompany will go along with Jamal Musiala, Olise, Luis Diaz and Kane as his front four for this clash.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Ito, Tah, Davies; Pavlovic, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Diaz; Kane
Key Stats
- PSV have lost more games against Bayern Munich (6) than versus any other opponent in their European competition history. Their loss percentage is also higher against Bayern (75% – 6/8) than any other opponent they have faced on five or more occasions in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League.
- PSV Eindhoven have not lost three consecutive UEFA Champions League games since 2016. Additionally, they have lost just one of their last five home games against German opposition.
- Bayern Munich have won just one away game against an Eredivisie team in the Champions League since 1992.
- PSV have lost their last two UEFA Champions League games, last losing three in a row back in November 2016. They are, however, unbeaten in their final group stage game in their last five appearances in the competition (W2 D3), beating Liverpool 3-2 in the 2025/26 edition.
- Joey Veerman has made more line-breaking passes leading to goals (5) than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this season, while he is one of only three players with 100+ line-breaking passes in this edition (104), along with Aleix Garcia (117) and Vitinha (114).
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
Bayern Munich may not need to win at all to secure a top-two spot in this final group phase game, and Vincent Kompany will use the match to add more minutes to Jamal Musiala’s legs. The attacking midfielder has missed most of the season and has only returned from a serious injury suffered at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
The youngster is in line to make his first Champions League start of the season for Bayern, and it will be a key game for him personally to get his rhythm ahead of a key part of the campaign. It will be interesting to watch what Musiala adds to this other formidable Bayern attack, as the PSV clash is where he could start making himself big.
Prediction
PSV Eindhoven 2-2 Bayern Munich
PSV have often responded when put through adversity, and Peter Bosz’s side have the tools to hurt a team like Bayern Munich. This game is deemed as a must-win for the Eredivisie leaders so as to cling on to their playoff berth at the moment, but this clash is unlikely to end in a home win.
In fact, Bayern Munich are not expected to take their foot off the gas for this one, as Vincent Kompany will want a response to their defeat at the weekend. However, the visitors have one victory away from home against Eredivisie opposition since 1992, and the frustrating run might continue, as this game is expected to finish in a high-octane draw.