PSG vs. Bayern Munich projected lineups: Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi question marks for Champions League match
Messi #Messi
PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich face off in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday and all eyes at Parc des Princes will be on Kylian Mbappe.
The French superstar has recovered from injury sufficiently to be included in the hosts’ squad and now the question is whether he will start or not after tests proved his readiness.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann was confident all along that Mbappe would ultimately make it for this one so the German giants will have prepared accordingly.
However, guessing whether or not Christophe Galtier gives in to the temptation to start the 24-year-old is now the big challenge for the Bundesliga leaders.
According to the latest reports in France, Mbappe is most likely to start from the bench with Les Parisiens’ starting XI featuring 16-year-old wonderkid Warren Zaire Emery from the off.
Galtier is expected to reinstate the likes of Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti after they missed the defeat in Monaco.
With Neymar and Messi in attack, the idea would logically be to send Mbappe on around the hour mark or perhaps even at the start of the second half for maximum impact without risking him getting injured again immediately.
Carlos Soler on the left side of a 4-4-2 would also be intriguing given the Spaniard’s struggles and the fact that Bayern are expected to shift Joao Cancelo to the left at the expense of Alphonso Davies.
The German champions are expected to line up with ex-PSG cult hero Eric Maxim Choupo Moting in attack, former youth academy graduate Kingsley Coman wide on the left, and France internationals Benjamin Pavard as well as Dayot Upamecano as the right-sided half of a back four.
Probable PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Ramos, Marquinhos (c), Mendes; Zaire Emery, Pereira, Verratti, Soler; Messi, Neymar.
Probable Bayern XI: Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Cancelo; Kimmich, Goretzka; Muller (c), Musiala, Coman; Choupo-Moting.