Chance at greatness for Poch's Paris | OneFootball

PSG have one foot ion the semis after a 3-2 quarter-final first-leg win in Bavaria, but while the stats are on their side, coach Mauricio Pochettino knows that it will be no walk in the park against reigning champs Bayern Munich, who will be gunning for revenge in the French capital.

UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, second leg

Parc des Princes, Paris

Paris Saint-Germain - FC Bayern Munich (3-2 on aggregate)

- Kick-off at 20:00 GMT Few would have predicted that Paris Saint-Germain would travel to Munich and beat the Bavarian giants 3-2, but Pochettino's men - notably two-goal Kylian Mbappé - weather the storm of a dominant Bayern display and pulled off a stunning upset. They now find themselves in the driver's seat of the tie against the side that beat them in last season's final, and stakes could hardly be higher. Pochettino: 'Confident in our qualities'

Statistically, PSG's chances of progressing to the semis for a second-straight season are extremely good - 95 per cent of sides who have won 3-2 away in a European first leg have gone on to qualify and Bayern have been knocked out of the last four knockout ties in which they have lost the first leg - but Pochettino isn't taking anything for granted. "This match will be different [from the first leg]. The circumstances are completely different. It's a return match, which changes everything. We remember the match against Barcelona. We expect a very difficult game because Bayern Munich, in my opinion, are the best team in the world," Pochettino admitted, shrewdly echoing rather than countering the swagger shown by Bayern's Joshua Kimmich on the Bavarian club's website. "But we are confident in our qualities. We are confident and really positive; we want to prove that we deserve to progress to the semi-finals." While PSG will be without captain Marquinhos, who is still short of fitness after being forced off with a groin strain in the first leg, and striker Mauro Icardi (thigh) remains injured while Marco Verratti, still bouncing back from COVID, only gets a place on the bench. However, Neymar will be back after sitting out the 4-1 Ligue 1 Uber Eats win over Strasbourg through suspension and in-form striker Mbappé will be on hand to lead the line.

RC STRASBOURG ALSACE - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (1-4)/ Highlights - 2020/2021

Goretska a chance, but worries in defence Meanwhile, Bayern boss Hansi Flick is still without main striker Robert Lewandowski, not to mention Niklas Süle, Serge Gnabry and Corentin Tolisso, but could well have influential midfielder Leon Goretska - subbed off in the first leg with a thigh complaint - back in action. However, stopper Jérôme Boateng and his probable makeshift partner Lucas Hernandez both have fitness concerns following injuries - something PSG will doubtless be looking to exploit with their trademark pace and precision. Probable teams

Paris Saint-Germain: Navas; Dagba, Danilo, Kimpembe (c), Diallo; Gueye, Paredes; Di Maria, Neymar, Draxler; Mbappé

FC Bayern Munich: Neuer (c); Pavard, Boateng, Hernandez, Davies; Kimmich, Alaba; Sané, Müller, Coman; Choupo-Moting (Photo: PSG.fr)

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