In just over an hour, the ball will be rolling in the last game of the Champions League phase between FC Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven. Despite having already secured a place in the last 16, coach Vincent Kompany is still looking for the best possible starting position.
Surprisingly, Jonas Urbig is back in goal, with Manuel Neuer, who has already had a break in the league, initially taking his place on the bench. This gives Urbig the chance to make up for his slip-up against Augsburg. Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah will defend in front of the 22-year-old in central defence, with Hiroki Ito taking over on the left and Tom Bischof starting on the right. Upamecano thus returns to the starting eleven after missing the last two games due to illness. Minjae Kim is suspended, while Konrad Laimer, Josip Stanisic and Raphaël Guerreiro are still injured.
Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic form a double-six in central midfield, with Jamal Musiala in front of them in the ten, making his starting debut after a long period of illness. The attack is completed by Luis Díaz on the left, Lennart Karl on the right and Nicolas Jackson in the center of attack, who is back from the Africa Cup. Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry are surprisingly only on the bench, as is Michael Olise.
Bayern want to secure second place, everything is at stake for Eindhoven
A point in Eindhoven would see FC Bayern secure second place in the league phase. Munich are on 18 points ahead of the final matchday and therefore have the best chance of securing home advantage in the second leg, including a possible semi-final. Real Madrid are lurking in third place, three points behind if Munich slip up. First place is still mathematically possible, but Bayern would have to make up five goals on FC Arsenal in addition to three points.
PSV will go into the match under pressure. The Dutch champions urgently need to score in the battle for a play-off place and will be relying on an attacking approach. The hosts will be looking to generate pace down the flanks in particular, with Joey Veerman pulling the strings in the center.
The line-ups at a glance
FC Bayern: Urbig – Bischof, Upamecano, Tah, Ito – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Karl, Musiala, Díaz – Jackson
Substitutes‘ bench: Neuer, Ulreich – Gnabry, Goretzka, Kane, Olise, Davies, Boey, Kiala, Mike, Chávez
PSV Eindhoven: Coming soon
