PSG TRIES TO HOLD OFF BAYERN MUNICH
Paris Saint-Germain struggled to defend against an onslaught by Bayern Munich last week, conceding 31 shots. PSG still won the game 3-2, but the absence of stalwart defender and captain Marquinhos for today’s second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal is raising concerns at the French league champions.
The Brazil player was ruled out of the match with an injury to his right adductor muscle. Marquinhos scored PSG’s second goal from Neymar’s assist in Munich but had to be replaced at the half-hour mark and missed PSG’s latest French league game over the weekend because of the injury.
PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is now expected to start Presnel Kimpembe and Danilo Pereira in the heart of the defense.
“We all know Marquinhos’ qualities, he is our defense leader,” Kimpembe said Monday. “He is our captain. If he is not there, it will be a big hole, although there are many great players in this squad to cover for his absence.”
In a repeat of last year’s final, PSG was outplayed for long stretches of the match but came out on top of the encounter thanks to the individual brilliance of players like Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice. Bayern was made to pay for its profligacy but showed it has the quality required to turn around the tie.
The good news for PSG is that the defending champions will also be without important players including forward Robert Lewandowski, Corentin Tolisso and winger Serge Gnabry. Bayern was held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Union Berlin over the weekend but Hansi Flick’s side was so dominant in the first leg it remains confident a comeback is possible.
“We want to cause a mini upset in Paris,” Flick said. “Of course, we’ll be delighted if we manage that.” Chelsea has advantage
Chelsea is in good shape to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2014 after beating Porto 2-0 in the first leg as the away team (both games are being played in Seville, Spain, because of the pandemic). Chelsea could be strengthened by the return of N’Golo Kante, the France midfielder who has shaken off his latest hamstring problem. However, manager Thomas Tuchel might decide to keep Kante fresh for another big match for Chelsea, Saturday against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals.
Porto will be boosted by the return of leading scorer Sergio Oliveira, who has five goals for Porto in the competition this season but missed the first game because of suspension.
Elsewhere
Without top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin because of a hamstring injury, Everton managed just one shot on target — that coming in the 71st minute — in a lackluster 0-0 draw at Brighton. The result left Everton on a four-game winless run and in eighth place, four points behind sixth-place Liverpool and seven behind West Ham in fourth.
• West Bromwich Albion beat Southampton 3-0 for a second straight big win in its unlikely bid to escape relegation from the Premier League. Eight points separate West Brom, which is in next-tolast place, and Newcastle, the team occupying the spot above the relegation zone.
• The mayor of Munich said fans could still be barred from attending Euro 2020 games in the German city as UEFA seeks guarantees there will be supporters in the stands. UEFA last week gave four of the 12 host cities — Munich, Rome, Bilbao and Dublin — an extension until April 19 to guarantee crowds will be allowed. Otherwise they could potentially be excluded from hosting. The other eight cities have given guarantees.