Sports
Bayern Munich vs PSG: Champions League – LIVE!
PSG know they must win tonight at the Allianz Arena if they are to get past Bayern Munich and keep their hopes of lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time alive. Bayern lead 1-0 after the first-leg of the last-16 tie, with Kingsley Coman once again delivering against his former side.
The Bundesliga leaders will fancy their chances of completing the job, with it now well over a year since they were last beaten on home soil. Bayern are without Benjamin Pavard though, after the Frenchman was sent off late on in Paris, though Sadio Mane is on the bench and could play some part.
The Champions League is the competition that matters above all else for PSG, but they are facing a fifth exit at the last-16 stage in the last seven seasons. While Kylian Mbappe is fully fit and starts for the visitors, Neymar is out and set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury in a huge blow. Follow all the action below with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog!
Live updates
PSG have done it before
PSG have to win tonight if they’re to go through, simple as that.
Bad news for them is that Bayern have lost just one of their last 17 matches at home in the Champions League. The good news? PSG were that team to beat.
It was the first leg of a quarter-final tie three years ago, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice in a 3-2 win in Germany. More of the same and we’ve got a very fun night ahead.
Bayern in the building…
Galtier: We have Mbappe
No prizes for guessing who PSG boss Christophe Galtier is hoping will step up tonight for the Ligue 1 side. Over to you, Kylian…
“We need to play more football than we did in the first leg,” Galtier said.
“We have a gameplan and we have Kylian. He gives us more scope to get in behind. We must also win the ball back much faster.”
Bayern with the advantage at halfway stage
It was a strange first leg in Paris. Bayern were completely dominant for the majority of the match, as Coman once again came back to haunt PSG and give the visitors a deserved lead.
And then Mbappe came on. And Bayern froze. The Frenchman ran them ragged in his time on the pitch, twice having the ball in the net but neither counted.
If that’s a sign of things to come, Bayern have real problems.
Teams are in…
Stanisic gets the nod for Bayern over Cancelo, while Coman once against starts against his former side. Scored in the Champions League final against PSG and in the first leg in Paris last month – decent record.
Mane is on the bench for the hosts, along with Gnabry and Sane, so Bayern not short of options.
For PSG, Mbappe and Messi up front. Shock. Vitinha and Ruiz behind them, while it looks to be a back three of Danilo, Ramos and Marquinhos.
That looks to be a team full of players very much ready to kick off if things go badly for PSG tonight…
PSG team news
PSG XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Ramos, Marquinhos, Mendes, Danilo, Ruiz, Verratti, Vitinha, Messi, Mbappe
Subs: Rico, Letellier, Bernat, Sanches, Mukiele, Soler, Pembele, Bitshiabu, Zaire-Emery, Gharbi, Ekitike
Bayern team news
Bayern XI: Sommer, Stanisic, Upamecano, De Ligt, Coman, Kimmich, Goretzka, Davies, Muller, Musiala, Choupo-Moting.
Subs: Ulreich, Gnabry, Sane, Wanner, Mane, Sarr, Cancelo, Blind, Gravenberch, Tel, Mazraoui, Ibrahimovic
Nagelsmann lays out Bayern tactics
Julian Nagelsmann has warned his Bayern side that they have to avoid giving Lionel Messi space to exploit tonight.
With Mbappe set to start, there will be a real threat from the visitors on the counter and Bayern’s high-line could certainly be vulnerable.
Nagelsmann said: “Paris have a clear identity and habits that you can exploit, but they can hit you on the counter if you get it wrong.
“We need to avoid taking too long to settle into the game. One job we have will be to avoid having too much space behind our back line. It will be important to cut off passes to [Lionel] Messi and to keep him from changing direction.”
Mbappe: Future not linked to Champions League
Kylian Mbappe has insisted he will not makes decisions over his future solely on tonight’s results.
The Frenchman has regularly been linked with a move away from the PSG, particularly to Real Madrid, and more rumours can be expected in the summer.
“If I linked my future to the Champions League, without wishing to show a lack of respect to the club, I would have left a long time ago,” said Mbappe.
“I don’t think this match will have an impact. I am here and I am very happy to be here. I am not thinking about anything other than making PSG successful.”
