Ninety minutes that could potentially make or break Christophe Galtier’s time in the Paris Saint-Germain hotseat await on Wednesday night, as Bayern Munich will look to finish the job and book its place in the Champions League quarter final.
A solitary strike from ex-PSG product Kingsley Coman was enough to propel the Bavarians to a 1-0 first leg win three weeks ago, as a familiar sense of deja vu rears its ugly head for the ardent Parisiens.
Public jabs between the two teams have just increased the excitement of what was already a huge match, and Bayern will aim to show off their supremacy and eliminate one of the early favorites from the competition.
Furthermore, not since the 2010-11 campaign has Bayern been eliminated from the Champions League when winning the first leg of a knockout tie, while 15 of their last 17 top-tier European games at the Allianz Arena have ended in victory.
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Bayern Munich has only lost to Real Madrid (2001-02 quarterfinal) and Inter Milan in their 22 prior UEFA Champions League playoff matches after winning the first game.
PSG has only triumphed twice in their last seven encounters with Bayern Munich after winning four of their first five UEFA Champions League games against them.
Kick-off:
Thursday, 09-03-2023; 01:30 am (IST)
Wednesday, 08-03-2023; 08:00 pm (GMT)
Bayern Munich form (all competition): W-W-L-W-W
PSG form (all competition): W-W-W-L-L
Player to watch
Bayern Munich: Kingsley Coman
The Frenchman’s persistent injury issues, which have plagued him for the duration of his career, look to have been resolved at last. He has five goals and an assist over the course of his last six appearances in all competitions. Coman, a wingback and wide player, is Julian Nagelesmann’s most notable creative output. The most recent of Coman’s two goals against PSG came last week in the Champions League. He will be the one to watch this week.
PSG: Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has scored 17 goals in 21 games this season, making him unbeatable when it comes to goal scoring. He is a strong candidate to score in the forthcoming game thanks to his outstanding form. His display against Bayern in the first game after being substituted was crucial in giving PSG opportunities to make a comeback. He has lately surpassed all previous PSG scorers.
Team & Injury News
Bayern Munich is without the typical suspects as defender Hernandez and club skipper Neuer are both out with long-term leg injuries. Sane hurt himself during practise this week and might not play, and Mazraoui, who has heart issues, will also miss the game.
Achraf Hakimi, Renato Sanches, and injured defender Presnel Kimpembe won’t be available for PSG boss Christophe Galtier. Neymar’s absence from the second leg of the UCL match against the German giants will be PSG’s greatest issue. PSG will be hoping for something miraculous so that he can play a few minutes and have an impact.
Head-to-Head Stats
Matches: 9
Bayern Munich: 6
PSG: 3
Draws: 0
Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):
Sommer; Cancelo, Pavard, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Musiala, Müller (c), Coman; Choupo-Moting
PSG predicted lineup (3-5-2)
Donnarumma; Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, Danilo Pereira;Mukiele, Fabian Ruiz , Marco Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe.
Bayern Munich to Win
With home advantage heightening Bayern’s chances, Bayern Munich vs PSG prediction forecasts another win for the German champions.
