They are only the eighth but for PSG the duel this Wednesday in the fiefdom of the powerful Bayern Munich, which already won by the minimum in the Parc des Princes, is a final. Despite Neymar’s long-term absence, pending ankle surgery, a blow to the table is required at a summit meeting for Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the best in the world.
Already eliminated from the Cup by Marseille, if they fall in the Champions League PSG would only have the consolation of winning their eleventh Ligue 1, a title that would not satisfy the Qatari owners of PSG, obsessed with the Champions League. Not doing the machada at the Allianz Arena and coming back from the goal in Paris by the Frenchman Kingsley Coman, the scourge of the team in which he was formed and whom he already defeated in the 2020 Champions League final, would mean stopping again at the first crossing , like last year against Real Madrid.
Not only the future of PSG, coach Christophe Galtier and even the Nasser Al-Khelaifi era go through this Bavarian event, but surely also that of Mbappé, who once again hears siren songs from Madrid. The Parisian star joked on the subject when asked about a possible renewal beyond 2024: “If I linked my future to the Champions League, without disrespecting the club, I would have gone very far,” he laughed.
He dreams of winning the first Champions League for PSG, which would surely give him more weight in history than if he won that trophy at some point with Real Madrid, who already has 14. ‘Kyky’ had his chance in that 2020 final against the Bavarians, but arrived injured and could not offer his best version. A thorn that he has crossed. The following year he signed a huge double in Munich that gave him a pass to the semifinals, where the French champions were beaten by Manchester City.
Also indirectly targeted by the accusations of rape against the Spanish-Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, included in the call for the match, PSG can breathe if they meet the challenge. After chaining three straight defeats, he seems to have taken flight with three consecutive successes, five goals and two assists from Mbappé and three goals and two determining passes from Messi. The duo that met in the World Cup final in Qatar, with success for the Argentines, seems fit. And since there is no harm that does not come good, Neymar’s loss has given a vulnerable team a little more defensive consistency despite having a Sergio Ramos on the rise along with Danilo Pereira and captain Marquinhos behind.
“We give our rivals too much hope. We cannot have that behavior on Wednesday”, remarks Galtier, knowing that Bayern has recovered a good version, is the leader in the Bundesliga and progresses largely thanks to the success of two former PSG players. Coman has scored five goals and Choupo-Moting four in Bayern’s last seven games. He assures Mbappé that PSG has recovered and is “prepared to face this challenge.” The reality, on Wednesday.
-Probable alignments
Bayern de Múnich: Sommer, Stanisic, Upamecano, De Ligt, Coman, Kimmich, Goretzka, Davies, Müller, Musiala y Choupo-Moting.
PSG: Donnarumma, Nundo Mendes, Sergio Ramos, Danilo, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Fabián, Vitinha, Verratti, Messi and Mbappé.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy).
Time: 9:00 p.m. Allianz Arena in Munich.
TV: Movistar Champions League.
