A disc brake for a vehicle, comprising: a brake disc with a brake disc rotational axis; a brake caliper having an application-side and a back-side and being configured to straddle the brake disc; an application-side brake pad and a back-side brake pad with respective brake pad back plates (3a, 3b); a brake carrier configured to straddle the brake disc and configured support the brake caliper in an axially-displaceable manner on an axis parallel to the brake disc rotation axis and having contours in application-side and back-side carrier brake pad slots, the contours of the brake carrier means being configured to cooperate with form-fitting complementary features of the application-side and back-side brake pads (3, 4) to constrain the application-side brake pad against radial movement away from the brake disc rotational axis and the back-side brake pad against radial movement toward the brake disc rotational axis, the brake caliper being supported on the brake carrier by at least two bearing struts (7a, 8a) configured to permit sliding of the brake caliper relative to the brake carrier along a direction parallel to the brake disc rotational axis; pad-retaining means configured to be releasably held on the brake caliper and straddle the brake pads (3, 4); application-side tensioning means configured to apply a tensile force to the application-side brake pad; and wherein the pad-retaining means is retained on the back-side of the brake caliper and is in a force-transferring relationship with the application-side of the brake caliper, characterized by back-side compression means configured to apply a compressive force to the back-side brake pad, wherein the pad-retaining means, brake carrier means, brake pads (3, 4) and application-side tensioning means and back-side compression means form a guide device arranged such that the pad-retaining means cooperates with the application-side tensioning means to apply the tensile force to the application-side brake pad in a direction radially away from the brake disc rotational axis and with the back-side compression means to apply the compressive force to the back-side brake pad in a direction radially toward the brake disc rotational axis. a brake disc with a brake disc rotational axis; a brake caliper having an application-side and a back-side and being configured to straddle the brake disc; an application-side brake pad and a back-side brake pad with respective brake pad back plates (3a, 3b); a brake carrier configured to straddle the brake disc and configured support the brake caliper in an axially-displaceable manner on an axis parallel to the brake disc rotation axis and having contours in application-side and back-side carrier brake pad slots, the contours of the brake carrier means being configured to cooperate with form-fitting complementary features of the application-side and back-side brake pads (3, 4) to constrain the application-side brake pad against radial movement away from the brake disc rotational axis and the back-side brake pad against radial movement toward the brake disc rotational axis, the brake caliper being supported on the brake carrier by at least two bearing struts (7a, 8a) configured to permit sliding of the brake caliper relative to the brake carrier along a direction parallel to the brake disc rotational axis; pad-retaining means configured to be releasably held on the brake caliper and straddle the brake pads (3, 4); application-side tensioning means configured to apply a tensile force to the application-side brake pad; and wherein the pad-retaining means is retained on the back-side of the brake caliper and is in a force-transferring relationship with the application-side of the brake caliper, characterized by back-side compression means configured to apply a compressive force to the back-side brake pad, wherein the pad-retaining means, brake carrier means, brake pads (3, 4) and application-side tensioning means and back-side compression means form a guide device arranged such that the pad-retaining means cooperates with the application-side tensioning means to apply the tensile force to the application-side brake pad in a direction radially away from the brake disc rotational axis and with the back-side compression means to apply the compressive force to the back-side brake pad in a direction radially toward the brake disc rotational axis.