In attack and defense, Bayern show why they’re UCL favorites

PARIS — It’s time to take Bayern Munich seriously as potential UEFA Champions League winners. Right now, the Bundesliga giants are the team to beat on the road to next May’s final in Budapest, and they proved it on Tuesday in adversity in Paris.If you can beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Parc des Princes, it marks you out as a team to be feared, but Bayern left the French capital with a 2-1 win despite having been reduced to 10 players before half-time thanks to double goalscorer Luis Díaz being sent off for a dangerous challenge on Achraf Hakimi.Playing with a one-man disadvantage against the European champions — and arguably the best team in the world, regardless of their FIFA Club World Cup final defeat against Chelsea in July — Bayern flipped from a display of first-half dominance and flair to turn in a backs-to-the-wall show of defiance in the second half.And it was all glued together by the stubbornness and ageless heroics of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who celebrates his 40th birthday next March, and also the selflessness of Harry Kane, who defended with as much determination as any of his teammates to ensure that Bayern extended their incredible start to the season to 16 successive wins in all competitions.- PSG’s Achraf Hakimi exits in tears after wild Luis Díaz tackle – As it happened: Mac Allister winner for Liverpool, Bayern beat PSG – Hunter: Will Pedri’s injury expose Barcelona, Spain’s dependency?”The main thing for me, and I say it a lot, is that when there is hype, I tell my players, please don’t believe it, you’re not that good, but if you have a bad performance, you’re not that bad either,” Bayern boss Vincent Kompany told reporters.”At 11 against 11, Bayern were stronger,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “Without a doubt.”It is easy to dismiss Bayern’s domestic dominance as the norm having been crowned as Bundesliga champions 12 times in the past 13 seasons.So their nine-game winning streak in the league so far this season, even including victories against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, could be regarded as impressive, but not enough to merit being billed as the best team in Europe. The Champions League is a much more reliable measuring stick, though, and Bayern have not had it easy in the league phase.