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Paris Saint-Germain face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 Tuesday (catch all the action on CBS and Paramount+) and it will be a decisive game for the Ligue 1 leaders. Christophe Galtier’s men are in poor form of late and although they remain five points clear in the league, they are out of the Coupe de France making the UCL their highest priority. Despite being expected to miss out with a thigh injury, Kylian Mbappe could be fit after all with Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti expected to make the cut too. All were named to the matchday squad on Monday. Bayern are unbeaten since club action resumed post-FIFA 2022 World Cup in Germany and Julian Nagelsmann’s side are on a three-game winning streak across all competitions.
Much was made of a reported altercation between PSG sporting advisor Luis Campos upon his return to Monaco with Portuguese speakers Neymar and Marquinhos which Neymar himself confirmed to have happened on Monday: “These things happen, small discussions where we do not agree,” said the Brazilian superstar in the pre-game press conference. “It happens each day, but I still love everybody — it is like with a girlfriend. Soccer is not just love and not just friendship. There is respect, but it happens through discussions.
“We are not used to losing — PSG wins games so losing knocks us. That is how you improve, though. As for the locker room, lies sometimes come out in the press and travel around the globe. Rumors have come out at key moments this season and we need to find out why. It is not normal that stories come out in the press that should stay between us. When information like that leaks, we get angry. I can guarantee you that much of it is wrong although some of it is true.
“Every game has its history. I love playing these big games, against great players, great clubs. It is in these moments that great players shine the most. It will not be an easy match because Bayern Munich have great players. Our biggest goal is the Champions League. We will have to pay attention to the details. The Champions League is like the World Cup, the team that makes the fewest mistakes goes the furthest. We know the difficulties but we have a lot of quality. We know what we can do.”
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This is, of course, a rematch of the 2020 COVID-impacted final which saw Bayern beat PSG by a single goal scored by Parisien academy graduate Kingsley Coman. Julian Nagelsmann was still RB Leipzig boss at that time and the French giants advanced past them to set up the Bayern clash which the match-winning France international remembers fondly nearly three years on.
“It was one of the biggest moments of my career,” said Coman of his 2020 Champions League final winner. “The goal gave me such a huge boost, but it is a long time ago now. It is a nice memory and I also like looking back on my time at PSG.”
“You can only do it as a team,” added Nagelsmann on silencing the likes of Messi. “We have to cut out the passes to Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. They have also got full-backs with a lot of pace. They have a number of really talented players. PSG will also be thinking about how to stop our players. The teams’ performances on the day will be what decides a game like this. We will try to be brave here — it is a tie between two similarly strong teams. We will try to put in a good performance away from home. I am really confident we will and that we will get a good result. We have had good results recently. We are doing well again in the Bundesliga and were solid in the DFB Pokal. PSG also had some issues due to the number of players they had on international duty.”
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Coverage starts each day at 2 pm. with Champions League Today on CBS and Paramount+. Paramount+ will offer a multicast feature allowing subscribers to watch two matches simultaneously in a split-screen view. You can try one month free by using the code: ADVANCE.
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Parc des Princes — Paris, France
- TV and live stream: CBS and Paramount+
- Odds: PSG +170; Draw: +260; Bayern +145 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Paris vs. Bayern Munchen
Team news
PSG: Galtier is expected to make decisions regarding Mbappe, Messi, and Verratti’s fitness on Monday, but the signs are that all three should make it which will be a huge boost for the home side after a crushing 3-1 loss away at AS Monaco in Ligue 1 over the weekend. Already out of the cup to their bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille, upset PSG fans visited the training facilities over the weekend to emphasize to the players that this Bayern clash is of utmost importance.
“Kylian trained on Sunday individually and collectively today,” said Galtier on Monday. “I did not think he would train yesterday individually. Following discussions with the doctor and the sporting department, we made the decision that he can train this Monday. His return is positive, as for knowing if he will be on the team sheet, we are not sure. We will make an assessment on Tuesday morning. The first questions will be asked to Kylian about how he feels, how he sees things. There will be a discussion with the medical staff, Kylian has done a lot of work to have the chance to be available. I do not know if he will be on the team sheet. If he is on the team sheet, he will be there to play. How long for, that I do not know.”
“Kylian is extremely important for the team. When we are all on the pitch, we feel stronger. I hope he can play some minutes on Tuesday. He is doing well and feeling good. They are good signs, good indications. I think he has recovered well.”
Bayern: Nagelsmann remains without the recovering Sadio Mane, Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Neuer, and Noussair Mazraoui in his squad. The German champions also made some smart moves during the winter window to ensure that they are stronger now than when the draw was made. Yann Sommer and Joao Cancelo are impressive additions to Bayern’s ranks and Nagelsmann may have been right all along about Mbappe so his players will undoubtedly be well prepared.
Prediction
PSG will almost certainly raise their game for this one as their season is on the line once again. Mbappe, Messi, and Verratti’s returns should ensure that this is one of Les Parisiens’ best showings since the World Cup and they should be able to hurt Bayern’s vulnerable defense. Equally, the Germans should have little trouble breaking down their hosts’ back line regardless of whether or not Presnel Kimpembe is fit enough to start. Pick: PSG 2, Bayern 1.
