Round 2 of the Bayern and PSG fight is on the horizon


By Neo Poho

Another big night of Champions League football is on the cards as Bayern Munich welcome Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the last 16 tie of the UEFA Champions League at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.

Bayern head into the encounter having a slender 1-0 aggregate victory after Kingsley Coman gave the German side the lead earlier on in February.

A lead they will try to protect and potentially add a goal or two to it, however, it doesn't come easy as PSG will try to restore some parity and get back into the game.

Without the Brazilian star Neymar Jnr. who has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury and is expected to undergo surgery, PSG will have to dig deep if anything is to go by for them to win the clash.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann has outlined ways in which he believes his team will neutralize the threat of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, two of the premier attacking threats in world football.

Speaking ahead of the match, Nagelsmann said, "PSG need at least one goal to level the encounter up, I expect them to apply a lot of pressure from the first whistle, they are very dangerous and quick on the counter-attack irrespective of who is playing or not."

Fresh from being PSG's all time record goal-scorer, Kylian Mbappe is oozing with confidence and is raring to go in the second leg having came on from the bench in the first leg on the 14th of February.

Nagelsmann furthermore acknowledged the return of  Mbappe to the starting lineup, outlining it will give Christophe Galtier a massive boost compared to the first leg in Paris.

"In the first leg they were without Mbappe at the start which affected their match plan a little bit, when he came on they started playing differently and that was a concern for us, as I have said before the second leg is going to be open as the two teams will be attacking each other more," Nagelsmann said.

The 35 year old German born coach was also quick to outline his team's aspirations in the Champions League, "We obviously want to get the victory and go far in the competition, but in the end with heavyweights like Bayern and PSG it's always form on the day that matters and it ultimately decides the result of the match," Nagelsmann added.

Bayern will be without Benjamin Pavard who is suspended after receiving a red card in the first leg which, combined with Lucas Hernandez's injury, leaves Nagelsmann with somewhat of a headache defensively.

Manuel Neuer remains unavailable while Sadio Mane is expected to remain on the bench after being challenged to earn his place back by Nagelsmann.

On the contrast PSG will receive a major boost when Marco Verratti returns to the team after serving a domestic suspension, while Marquinhos is also expected to be available after shaking off a minor injury scare.

Kick-off at the Allianz Arena in Germany on Wednesday night is at 22:00

Article Tags

Football

Bayern Munich

PSG

UEFA Champions League

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