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Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will travel to the Allianz Arena for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday (8 March).
PSG endured a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, with the Parisians’ academy graduate Kingsley Coman’s strike being the difference between the two teams.
Christophe Galtier’s side has a comfortable eight-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table. However, Ligue 1 dominance is unlikely to save his job if they falter once again in the pre-quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
With his job potentially on the line, here is the PSG lineup Galtier could pick in the Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night:
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Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Following Keylor Navas’s departure, Gianluigi Donnarumma remains the only viable option for Galtier under the bar. The Italian has not always looked surefooted this season.
The latest demonstration of hesitancy came in a 4-2 win over Nantes on Saturday (4 March), with him making an error that led to a goal for the opposition. The Italian cannot afford any such slip-ups this week.
Center-back: Danilo Pereira
Galtier opted for a three-man backline in the 4-2 win over Nantes on Saturday, deploying Danilo as the right-most center-back. The Portuguese, who is naturally a defensive midfielder, held his own in that position, making some smart defensive interventions.
He also scored a thumping header in the second half, gaining a solid boost of confidence.
Center-back: Sergio Ramos
Four-time Champions League winner Sergio Ramos has a reputation for stepping up in the toughest battles. The Spaniard may very well be on the wrong side of 30, but he can still do a lot of damage if afforded even an inch of space in the opposition box.
Center-back: Marquinhos
PSG skipper Marquinhos has not been at his best this season. He has looked shaky in duels, misplaced passes from time to time, and has very rarely ventured forward. The Brazilian is also more confident playing in the back-four system than he is in the back-three.
It would not be surprising if Bayern Munich filtered most of their attacks through that channel.
Right-wingback: Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi has been officially charged with rape. However, the French authorities have neither taken the player into custody nor banned him from venturing outside of the French territories. According to GOAL, PSG have also included him in the squad that is traveling to Munich, meaning he could very well start at the Allianz Arena.
The Morocco international missed the 4-2 victory over Nantes with a hamstring injury, but completed the team training session on Monday (6 March), thus proving his fitness.
Central midfield: Fabian Ruiz
Fabian Ruiz impressed onlookers with his performance in the win over Nantes on Saturday. He created two chances, completed 105 passes, pulled off two dribbles, and played 15 passes into the final third. PSG need him to produce another performance of such magnitude to overpower Bayern’s midfield on Wednesday.
Central midfield: Marco Verratti
Teen midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery looked in fine form in the 4-2 win over Nantes. However, the 16-year-old could still be sacrificed for the experienced Marco Verratti, who has become eligible for selection after serving a domestic suspension.
Verratti’s composure could go a long way in helping PSG dominate proceedings at the Allianz Arena this week.
Central midfield: Vitinha
Vitinha enjoyed a blistering start to life at PSG. Since the 2022 FIFA World Cup, however, he has looked a bit blunt, failing to create chances consistently and struggling to maintain the tempo of the game.
Vitinha has generally looked considerably better playing alongside Verratti. PSG will need the pair to sync up as quickly as possible in Germany on Wednesday.
Left-wingback: Nuno Mendes
PSG’s jet-heeled left-back Nuno Mendes was a handful in the 4-2 win over Nantes. The Portugal international made overlapping runs, won four of five ground duels, attempted four crosses, and had one shot on target. It will be interesting to see if he manages to keep it up in one of the biggest matches of his career this week.
Right-forward: Lionel Messi
‘The Best’ FIFA Men’s Player Lionel Messi was on the scoresheet in the 4-2 victory over Nantes. He also created a couple of chances, completed a whopping eight dribbles, and won eight ground duels.
With Neymar ruled out with an ankle injury, Messi will have to shoulder even more responsibility to take PSG to victory.
Left-forward: Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe became PSG’s all-time top scorer (201) with his goal against Nantes. The 24-year-old tormented the visitors with his pace, linked up effortlessly with teammates, and always looked to play inviting passes into the box. He ended the night with three passes into the final third, two successful long ball deliveries, and four completed dribbles.
Bayern Munich are likely to pay special attention to Mbappe in order to keep him from stretching his legs.
