Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern Munich will need to get through one more league fixture before the two clash in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes.
Bayern Munich will face VfL Bochum on Saturday at Allianz Arena. Still, manager Julian Nagelsmann already has one eye on PSG and how he will prepare his squad for the heavyweight battle next week.
“I read a lot about my ‘attack,’ which wasn’t one,” Nagelsmann told reporters Friday (h/t Canal Supporters). If we reverse the reflection, and Mbappé plays. Everyone would have said: ‘Nagelsmann is an idiot!’ I’m just saying I’m preparing for him to play.
“There is a lot of pressure on both teams. PSG is better with Messi and Mbappe. But they also have good substitutes and bench depth. I prepare my team as if they were going to play.”
The capital club is heading into this contest coming off a 2-1 loss to Olympique de Marseille on Wednesday, which eliminated them from the Coupe de France. Additionally, PSG will face AS Monaco on Saturday at the Stade Louis-II, so the opposition isn’t a light one.
Messi is dealing with a hamstring injury that has him ruled out for the match against Monaco as PSG hopes to have the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner when Bayern Munich comes to the French capital.
As for Mbappe, he’s out for three weeks with a left thigh injury and will hopefully be part of the second-leg battle on March 8.
