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Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain meet in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals in a rematch of last year’s final. The Bavarians were victors on that occasion, courtesy of a goal from ex-PSG forward Kingsley Coman. As such, the Parisians will be on the hunt for revenge in this one.
It was a heartbreak for Paris Saint Germain when they last faced Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. The Parisians were on the cusp of European glory but were denied at the ultimate stage by one of their former players – Kingsley Coman. The Frenchman popped up at the right place at the right time to head the ball into the Paris goal. His goal proved to be the decisive one in the 2020 UCL Final, as Bayern emerged victorious with a scoreline of 1-0.
PSG have gone through a managerial change since then. They decided to part ways with Thomas Tuchel shortly before the end of the previous year, following which, they appointed Mauricio Pochettino. Tuchel has since gone to Chelsea and helped the team climb to fourth from ninth in the league table. Pochettino, however, has struggled to get consistent results for the Paris outfit and recently lost a top-of-the-table clash against Lille, 1-0.
The loss to Lille provided a major blow to the Parisians’ title ambitions. They were beaten 1-0 by Les Dogues – Jonathan David scoring the only goal of the match. Pochettino’s men are now three points behind the league leaders with just seven more games left to play. Meanwhile, they have also been caught up by Niko Kovac’s Monaco, who are just one point adrift in third place.
Unlike PSG, Bayern are having another great season domestically. The Bavarians’ latest match saw them beat RB Leipzig 1-0, courtesy of a Leon Goretzka goal. Despite missing top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, the German giants have managed to open up a seven-point gap between themselves and their closest challengers. They look on course to win a ninth title in a row – their second under Hansi Flick.
Bayern and PSG have met ten times in European competitions so far, with their head-to-head record in fine balance. Both teams have won five times each and are yet to draw a match. The last meeting went Bayern’s way, who seem to have a slight advantage going into this one due to their recent record against the opponents.
Nevertheless, the Bavarians will be without Lewandowski for this crucial encounter. The Polish striker was ruled out with an injury, handing PSG a massive boost. Whether the Parisians take advantage of the situation is something we will have to wait and see.
Key Players
Leon Goretzka
Bayern will undoubtedly miss the presence of goalscorer Lewandowski. However, they can rely on Goretzka – or SCOREtzka as Thomas Muller calls him – to pop up with some important goals. The central midfielder has been key to Bayern’s fortunes since Flick’s appointment and could be the one to hurt PSG in their upcoming Champions League tie. He has eight goals and nine assists to his name this season and was Bayern’s match-winner in their last game against Leipzig.
Thomas Muller
One can argue whether Muller is more important to Bayern than Lewandowski, or vice versa. Nevertheless, with his attack partner out injured, the onus to create and exploit spaces will fall on Muller. The German is simply the best at reading and attacking space – something PSG will have to be wary about. He is also the team’s chief motivator on the pitch, and constantly coaches them through difficult in-game situations.
Kylian Mbappe
Bayern is as good defensively as they are going forward. However, they will know better than to take Mbappe for granted, who is among the best players on the planet. The youngster scored a stunning hat-trick against Barcelona in the previous round and is PSG’s key attacking threat. Stopping him will help the Bavarians contain a dangerous attack, which includes the likes of Neymar, Mauro Icardi, and Angel Di Maria.
Marquinhos
The Brazilian centre-back has stepped up for PSG since the departure of Thiago Silva the previous summer. He can play in central defence and midfield, thus providing his manager with plenty of options. Pochettino will have a decision to make over Marquinhos’ role in their match against Bayern, with Marco Verratti out injured and Leandro Paredes suspended. Nevertheless, wherever he plays, he will have to be alert to the dangers around him.
Prediction
PSG have stumbled domestically this season but still have one of the best squads in world football. However, they will not be at their full strength against Bayern with Verratti and Paredes both set to miss out. Nevertheless, the Parisians have enough talent to take the game to their opponents and get a positive result from this one.
Bayern have a big injury crisis of their own to deal with. Lewandowski has been the best player in the world over the last two years, and replacing him is an impossible task. However, the Bavarians have evolved as a unit since the appointment of Flick as head coach and will fancy their chances against their next opponents. The odds are stacked slightly more in their favour for this one.
