Bayern Munich is now halfway to eliminating Paris Saint-Germain from the UEFA Champions League competition, and if they close the deal on Wednesday night, it would exact some measure of revenge.
That’s because PSG knocked them out of the competition, in the quarterfinals of 2020-21. They’ll have to like their chances here on Wednesday night, given how they have not lost a UCL tie when taking the first leg, since 2011. But it’s not over until it’s over, so let’s preview this one.
Paris Saint-Germain at Bayern Munich FYIs
Competition: UCL Round of 16, Leg 2/2
Aggregate: Bayern Leads 1-0
Kick: Wed March 8, 8pm, Allianz Arena, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Team News: Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain
Starting XI Predictions: Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain
Google Result Probability Bayern Munich 53% Extra Time 22% Paris Saint-Germain 25%
Bayern Munich Team News
Sadio Mane finally returned to action, after a long injury layoff, this past weekend. He featured off the bench against Stuttgart, and all indications are that he’ll continue on in that kind of role here. Mane is not expected to come back into the first team.
Goalkeeper supreme Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez and Noussair Mazraoui all remain sidelined, as long-term injury absentees. Frenchman Benjamin Pavard was sent off late in the first leg, and as such he’ll be suspended for the return leg here.
Otherwise there are no unavailability concerns here for manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.