FC Bayern is about to start the giant duel against Paris Saint-Germain, which will have a significant impact on the mood at the record champions. Coach Julian Nagelsmann is pissed off. But the enemy is also angry in the air.
On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain, probably the most prominent football team in the world, welcomes FC Bayern, one of the most successful European clubs in recent years. You meet for the most spectacular Champions League round of 16 this season, it's a blast. However, if you look at the preliminary work, you might think that the crisis summit will take place in the Parc des Princes.
Because after the deserved but completely lackluster 3-0 win over VfL Bochum, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann gave a very angry interview: "We're not in flow, we're only one point ahead in the league. If we play full throttle, it is Football, that's fun, that's enthusiasm, then we move too," said Nagelsmann on "Sky" - and added: "But we only did that for the first six minutes. In the first six minutes we have to be 3-0 lead, we missed a bit of straightforwardness," said the 35-year-old, who recently had to moderate a crisis talk with his injured but angry goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
At half-time, the coach, who is under pressure in his second season with the record champions to quickly deliver more titles to the championship last year, only spoke briefly to his team: He didn't have the feeling "that it makes sense To show scenes. We discussed a few other things, but that was done in 1:30," said Nagelsmann. "I think one or the other player has spoken up. Hopefully." National player Leon Goretzka found his coach's dressing room speech "not so short at all", as he said after the game. But this was "quite intense". On leaving, Nagelsmann warned darkly: "If we play like this on Tuesday, it won't be enough. We have to play an outstanding game in Paris..."
But also on the Seine they have big concerns before the eagerly awaited duel. After the cup defeat at Olympique Marseille during the week, the French noble ensemble also lost in the league without the superstars Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi: 1: 3 in the top game at AS Monaco. It was a flattering result in the end.
"PSG three days before the game against Bayern are an ailing team with no ideas and with Neymar, left to his own devices with Mbappé and Messi injured, no longer knowing how to carry the team on his shoulders should wear," wrote the Spanish newspaper "Marca". "The best player in PSG's Monaco defeat was Donnarumma, to be honest." The Italian goalkeeper had actually prevented an even greater defeat with strong saves. It was the fourth bankruptcy of the team, armed with hundreds of Qatari oil millions, this calendar year.
Kylian Mbappé, the top scorer of the current Champions League season with seven goals, will definitely be out with a thigh injury in the first leg. World champion Lionel Messi, who was slightly injured in the cup defeat in Marseille, will return to training at the beginning of the week and should be ready in time for the first act of the giant duel. It's quite possible that at this European football celebration, it's easy to forget the problems both teams had to deal with in the days leading up to the early high point of the football year. The real problems, that is clear in view of the big goals of both clubs, only begin for one of the two teams after the duel.
