There is no better antidote to turmoil than a Champions League victory. That’s what Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are clinging to, rivals this Tuesday in the round of 16, to straighten the course of two giants traveling on stony ground.
While the Germans seem to have found the calm that can strengthen Europe, the French are in the worst moment of the season and have the almost certain absence of their star, Kylian Mbappé.
For PSG, the draw is facing the abyss. Victory would heal the wounds, but defeat would confront them with all the ghosts of the past, which always appear when the European mountain arrives in the form of nerves and troubles.
This is the only way to explain why a team where everything was a bed of roses has become a bundle of tensions, with star injuries and locker room clashes so strong that they are sent to the top after two consecutive defeats. reach abroad.
The leader does not seem to be in danger, but the club has already said goodbye to the French Cup at the hands of its main rival Olympique de Marseille.
Coach Christophe Galtier will be left in the dead if they fail to beat Bayern and the club will have a lot to reconsider if a side with some of the best players in the world falls outside the continent’s top eight for another season.
The good news for the coach is that Argentina’s Lionel Messi appears to have overcome his hamstring problems and will be in 11th, while Mbappé has accelerated his recovery, returning to training earlier than expected, but everything points to him being in the final will start. Bank.
Galtier plans to return to the three-plant schedule, with Spain’s Sergio Ramos in the rear ashes, after a few months in which the 4-4-2 seemed established.
Bayern are coming into the first leg against PSG after three successive wins, two in the Bundesliga and one in the German Cup, although the streak has been marred by some atmospheric disruptions in the dressing room.
On the one hand, Manuel Neuer, who was out until the end of the season due to a fracture, publicly complained about the firing of goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic, which caused discomfort in the club’s leadership.
It is revealed that the coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has been highly critical of the players for their attitude and the tension is palpable with some of the stars in the dressing room.
The return of Joshua Kimmich to the team is one of the good news for Bayern, as his combination with Goretzka brings stability to the midfield and is especially important against teams with attacking power like PSG.
Nagelsmann has not set a schedule or eleven and it is difficult to know how it will turn out at the Parc des Princes. The example is Joao Cancelo, who has played in three games in three different positions since joining the side this winter.
However, many indicate that this time Nagelsmann will favor Cancelo in his natural position and give Davies a chance on the left.
Another variant is the defense of three central defenders, with Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecado and Mathjis de Light, and with Cancelo playing further forward.
Likely lineups:
psg: donnaruma; Marquinhos, Danilo, Ramos; Hakimi, Verratti, Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha; Messi and Neymar.
Bavaria: Summer; Cancelo, Upamecano, DeLight, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Eat, Musiala, Sané; Muller.
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
