Mbappe’s injury, poor form leave PSG in crisis before Bayern tie

The first leg of Paris Saint-crucial Germain’s Champions League last-16 match against Bayern Munich is this week. Kylian Mbappe is injured, Lionel Messi’s fitness is in doubt, and the team is in turmoil following two devastating losses.

Given that PSG’s seasons in the post-Qatar era have been defined by these important European matches and their unsettling propensity to collapse on such occasions, the pressure is squarely on coach Christophe Galtier.

Galtier’s mandate is to win the Champions League after PSG convinced Mbappe to sign a new contract and remain in the French capital last year rather than join Real Madrid. All of his predecessors, most recently Mauricio Pochettino, have failed to do so.
The nature of their collapse against Real was as spectacular as previous exits at the same stage against Barcelona in 2017 and Manchester United in 2019. They had just been eliminated in the round of 16 for the fourth time in six seasons.

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In the past, they have been hampered by injuries that occur at the wrong time. For example, Neymar missed both legs of the disastrous United series in 2017 and 2018 due to metatarsal fractures.

Last season, the Brazilian was also sidelined by an injury against the Spanish powerhouses, but this year, the other two PSG all-stars in the attack have been plagued by what the French media have begun to refer to as their Champions League “jinx.”
Mbappe is in the middle of a three-week spell out with a thigh injury, meaning he will not play in the first leg but should be fine for the return in Munich on March 8.

Messi missed Saturday’s 3-1 defeat in Monaco with an apparently minor hamstring complaint, but it remains to be seen if the 35-year-old Argentine will be on top form for Tuesday’s showdown.

– World Cup hangover –
The post-World Cup hangover that PSG must have dreaded during their outstanding start to the season has not just impacted the fitness of the players who dominated the final in Doha in December.

Galtier’s team have appeared laboured and have been regularly outfought by domestic opponents while losing four times in 10 games in 2023.

They simply could not cope with Marseille’s high-energy pressing game as they went out of the French Cup in the last 16 last midweek.

“We lost the midfield battle. We can’t afford to come out second best in so many challenges in such a game,” admitted Galtier.

Yet his side fared no better on Saturday in Monaco, provoking an angry reaction from supporters who had unveiled banners with messages for the team such as “Wake Up”.

The coach could lament the stomach bug that ripped through his squad on the morning of the Monaco game, but it was another defeat which laid bare the lack of balance in his squad.

The drop off in quality up front when any of Mbappe, Messi or Neymar are missing is enormous, and brings into focus the club’s decision to allow Pablo Sarabia to leave in January and not bring in a replacement — they failed to complete the paperwork to sign Hakim Ziyech on loan from Chelsea.

– Jinxed? –
Their midfield sorely lacks physicality and the defence is overly-reliant on the ageing Sergio Ramos, with a lack of depth forcing Galtier to move away from playing a three-man defence and exposing his inability to find an alternative.

“We are going through a difficult period but we need to stay calm, keep our feet on the ground and be aware of what we can still win this season,” insisted captain Marquinhos on Saturday.

It is over three months since the group stage ended so it is easy to forget now how the Parisians missed out on top spot in their section.
They finished tied with Benfica on points, head to head, goal difference, and goals scored, but the Portuguese club came out on top thanks to their greater number of goals scored away from home.

Benfica ended up drawing Club Brugge, on paper the weakest side in the last 16, while PSG face a still formidable Bayern.

—Maybe it was the jinx striking again.

“We have a big game on Tuesday and we all need to stick together between now and then, remobilise, get some energy and our confidence back and also get some players back,” said Galtier.

Mbappe’s injury, poor form leave PSG in crisis before Bayern tie