In a repeat of last season’s Champions League final, Bayern Munich will face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night in the first stage of their quarter-final.
Die Roten has been in sensational shape too late and has won all of his last seven matches over various competitions with a total score of 23-6.
Crunch time? #UCL #FCBPSG #packmas pic.twitter.com/gVfCT0hR3r
– ??? FC Bayern English ??? (@FCBayernEN) April 6, 2021
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been far from perfect in recent weeks, with two defeats in their last three Ligue 1 outings – including a damaging 1-0 loss at the hands of title rivals Lille last time – meaning their attempt to secure a fourth consecutive French krona hangs in balance.
However, Hansi Flick’s side must be at the top of their game to beat a team that dismantled Barcelona in the last round after a Kylian Mbappe champion class at the Camp Nou.
With some of the best players in the world on the show, it will surely be a delicious competition, and here is a 90 minute preview of the upcoming clash …
When is the match? Wednesday 7 AprilWhat time is running? 20:00 GMTWhere is it played? Allianz ArenaTV channel: BT Sport 3 (UK), fuboTV (USA)Judge: Antonio Mateu LahozWHERE: Alejandro Hernández
The reigning champions will once again be without talisman Robert Lewandowski, with Flick confirming that he would not be tempted to rush the frontman back from injury.
Douglas Costa and Corentin Tolisso are also out and unavailable for the clash, but Alphonso Davies and Jerome Boateng will both return to the side after putting out this weekend’s win over RB Leipzig due to suspension.
?? Today’s training on Ooredoo # FCBPSG pic.twitter.com/lkogkCgLem
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 5, 2021
The French champions’ trip to Munich is expected to come too soon to see the return of Mauro Icardi, whose injury-plagued season shows no sign of taking a turn for the better, while Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi will also miss having returned positively COVID- 19-tester.
Leandro Paredes will also be absent for the first stage due to suspension, which means that Ander Herrera can be restored to start XI.
Kylian Mbappe will be the key if PSG are to advance to the last four | Xavier Laine / Getty Images
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Coman; Choupo-Moting
Paris Saint Germain: Navas; Dagba, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo; Gueye, Herrera; Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe; Kean
Bayern MunichRB Leipzig 0-1 Bayern Munich – Bundesliga – 03/04/2021Bayern Munich 4-0 Stuttgart – Bundesliga – 20/03/2021Bayern Munich 2-1 Lazio – Champions League – 17/03/2021 Werder Bremen 1-3 Bayern Munich – Bundesliga – 13/03/2021Bayern Munich 4-2 Borussia Dortmund – Bundesliga – 06/03/2021
Paris Saint GermainPSG 0-1 Lille – Ligue 1 – 03/04/2021Lyon 2-4 PSG – League 1 – 21/03/2021PSG 3-0 Lille – French Cup – 17/03/2021PSG 1-2 Nantes – Ligue 1 – 14/03/2021PSG 1-1 Barcelona – Champions League – 20/10/2021
Joshua Kimmich will undoubtedly play a major role in Bayern’s efforts to defend their title | Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
The loss of probably the best center-forward in the world would be a blow to all teams, but the Bayern juggernaut just keeps rolling on. A weekend in the Bundesliga victory against RB Leipzig – their closest challenger for the German title – proved that they have what it takes to push on without the Polish hitman.
As for PSG, Pochettino’s time at the club has probably not gone as smoothly as he would have liked, but with their fair share of world-class players available to them, they can blow off all sides if everything clicks into place.
This should be a good game and it can be decided with a moment of brilliance or an individual error.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
