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Ahead of Paris Saint Germain's (PSG) upcoming UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich, former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has backed the German club to come out victorious.
With star players Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi both set to miss the game, the Ligue 1 giants have a tough task on their hands.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Nicol said:
"I've always bet against PSG when it comes to a big game in the Champions League. So far, majority of the time, I've been absolutely spot on and yet again they've got injuries going into a big Champions League game.
"Normally it's Neymar but now you're talking Messi and Mbappe, I don't see how Bayern don't win this tie certainly with Messi and Mbappe not playing. I don't trust PSG even with all the players, so I'm sorry I don't see how Bayern loses."
The Argentine suffered a hamstring injury during Les Parisiens' 2-1 loss to Marseille. Despite the setback, Messi played the entire game. French outlet L'Equipe report that he is expected to miss the team's upcoming Ligue 1 clash against Monaco and remains in serious doubt for the first leg of the Round of 16.
Manager Christophe Galtier did give a positive update on Messi. He said:
“He will resume training on Monday, before the game against Bayern. … So you can forget about him being a doubt.”
Mbappe, on the other hand, suffered a thigh injury against Montpellier earlier this month. He is not expected to return until after the second leg.
PSG owners outline plan to own Manchester United
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has reportedly devised a plan to own both Paris-Saint Germain and Manchester United.
A report from The Guardian states that Qatari interest remains in purchasing a controlling stake in the Red Devils and not only a minority stake.
UEFA rules state that two clubs owned by the same owner cannot face each other in a competition like the Champions League. This might cause some trouble for teams like PSG and United, who often qualify for the premier continental tournament. However, investors are confident that they can bring a solution.
It involves showing UEFA that the two clubs will be owned by separate entities. PSG is currently owned by Qatari Sport Investment, headed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Investors are confident that such a model will be accepted by UEFA, with the precedent of Red Bull Salzurg and RB Leipzig facing each other in the Europa League in 2018.
