Champions League
Messi and Mbappé before Bayern duel in PSG training
Can Lionel Messi play for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern? photo
© Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
Will PSG attack Bayern Munich with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar together? Messi and Mbappé, who were missing last, were back in the final training session. A stabilizer is also back.
Soccer world champion Lionel Messi and France’s superstar Kylian Mbappé are back before the Champions League spectacle against Bayern Munich at Paris Saint-Germain.
The two exceptional players warmed up with their teammates during the final training session the day before the round of 16 first leg. However, only the first quarter of an hour was visible from the unit in Paris. After four defeats in competitive games this year and recently two bankruptcies in the cup and championship, a participation of the two super attackers against Munich would be particularly important for PSG.
Argentinian Messi (35) appears to have recovered from the injury he suffered in Marseille last Wednesday. A longer absence was predicted for Mbappé (24), and he was in a good mood at the unit in Paris on Monday. Like Neymar (31), he wore a hat in cool temperatures. Brazilian Neymar is fit anyway, although like his team-mates he underperformed in Saturday’s 3-1 loss at AS Monaco.
Verratti back in the PSG team
In addition to Messi and Mbappé, the recently injured midfield stabilizer Marco Verratti also returned. Presnel Kimpembe, who was absent for a long time after injuring his Achilles tendon and making his comeback against Monaco, was also included in the unit led by coach Christophe Galtier. According to media reports, Mbappé had already completed part of the team training on Sunday. Former Bayern professional Renato Sanches and former Leipzig player Nordi Mukiele are missing.
On Tuesday (9 p.m./Amazon Prime Video) the eagerly awaited premier class hit will take place in the Prinzenpark. Should Mbappé actually get fit in time, the French series champion could muster the top line-up in attack.
The offensive trio is the biggest trump card of the multi-million squad from the French capital. Since the takeover of Paris Saint-Germain by the Qatari investor group “Qatar Sports Investments” in 2011, PSG has been aiming in vain for winning the Champions League. Despite immense investments in the millions, the overall European Cup balance sheet is sobering. In 2020, PSG lost the only premier class final to date against FC Bayern Munich. In the previous season, Paris failed in the round of 16.