Bavaria and Paris: The crisis duel between the two leaders

Bayern Munich leads the German Bundesliga, Paris Saint-Germain has long since surpassed the competition in France – but both clubs are in a crisis mood ahead of today’s first leg duel in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

• Focus Paris: After the end of the cup against Marseille, PSG lost the dress rehearsal against Monaco 1: 3 without Messi and Mbappe. Despite the fourth league defeat, the lead over pursuer Marseille is five points, but the pressure on coach Christophe Galtier increases: “If you lose three seasons, the shareholder starts to get angry, if you lose four of the season, a crisis is brewing, if you lose five, the coach is threatened.” , it said in “L’Equipe”. Galtier admitted that he was concerned. He was referring to the long list of injuries, not to the protests from the supporters (“I understand the anger of the fans”) or the problems in the cabin: According to media reports, Neymar should be on the pitch with fellow players, but also with PSG adviser Luis Campos to have bumped into each other.

• Focus Munich: The German champions were in awe of the duel against Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the draw in November. In the meantime, Bayern are more concerned with themselves. It all started with Manuel Neuer’s skiing accident. It has long been uncertain whether the captain will ever take the helm again. His confidant, goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic, was dismissed, and the injured person poured fuel on the fire with an interview. The media brought up a fine for Neuer because he forced the club to spend eight million euros on replacement Yann Sommer due to his leisure accident.

  At the stumbling start to spring, Serge Gnabry was extravagant: in the four days between the games against Leipzig and Cologne, he jetted to Paris Fashion Week. Leroy Sane was sidelined last Saturday: The 27-year-old was substituted in the 3-0 win against Bochum, and Sane showed his frustration when he left.

  In between, poison arrows rained down on Nagelsmann because of Kylian Mbappe: When he was injured against Montpellier on February 1, PSG announced that the striker would be absent for three weeks. “I don’t think he’ll be out,” said the Bayern coach, suspecting a bluff. PSG coach Galtier rebuked his counterpart: “It’s not the club’s style and it’s not my style.”

Mbappe trained again

Nagelsmann should be right: Mbappe trained on Sunday, and Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti are fit again. “We prepare as if everyone is playing,” said Nagelsmann. He’s more concerned with getting his team going anyway. “I hope that the thrill of competition and the thrill of dueling will bring freshness to the mind.” A performance like against Bochum will not be enough.

Kingsley Coman could become a promotion aid: in 2020 he scored the decisive goal in the Champions League final in Lisbon to make it 1-0 against the club where he grew up as a footballer between 2005 and 2014. Two years ago, Paris kicked Bayern out of the competition in the quarter-finals. PSG captain Marquinhos did not attach any importance to the unrest: “Bayern is still a difficult team to play on.”