German and French clubs are showing in the Champions League they can make the most of the benefits of not having to play in a gruelling domestic competition
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aris Saint-Germain have won 11 of the past 13 French league titles and, going into this weekend, stood four points clear of Lens at the top of Ligue 1. Bayern Munich have already wrapped up this season’s Bundesliga title, their 13th in 14 years. According to Deloitte, Bayern are the third-richest club in the world by revenue, PSG fourth.
They meet in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday as two modern super-clubs. The idea of a top-five European league feels outmoded. Rather there are the best Premier League clubs, plus perhaps five or six others of whom PSG and Bayern are the outstanding two still left in this season’s competition.
There has been a sense in the recent past that their domestic domination has been a hinderance in Europe, that the lack of challenge at home had left them flabby and complacent, unable to deal with opponents capable of putting up a fight and making them defend. Yet PSG are the defending champions and Bayern are the favourites. So what has changed?
