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Lisbon rematch, chapter 1

Berlin/Paris, Apr 6 (efe-epa).- In a rematch of the last season’s final, Bayern Munich will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals but this time both sides are missing some key elements.

Defending champions Bayern Munich will have to make do without forward Robert Lewandowski, who sustained a knee injury after scoring a brace in Poland’s 3-0 win over Andorra.

However, the team turns its focus to the Champions League after taking a huge step towards their ninth consecutive Bundesliga title after earning a tough 1-0 win over Leipzig to extend their lead over their closest chaser to seven points.

Defenders Jerome Boateng and Alphonso Davies will be eligible after missing Saturday’s game for a card accumulation.

Head coach Hansi Flick could opt for inserting Lucas Hernandez into the starting lineup instead of Davies, given the Frenchman’s proven ball-winning record.

Bayern have not lost whenever Lucas Hernandez has started in the first XI. 

During a presser ahead of the game, Flick said: “it’s a new match and Paris have a new team with a new coach. But on the whole not too much has changed since the final last year.”

“We need to be well organized in possession. If we lose the ball, we need to be able to quickly put them under pressure again. As for our attacks, we’d like to demonstrate a bit more confidence and determination compared to our match against Leipzig,” he added.

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, travel to Munich during something of a dip in the season.

Their hopes of revenge for their 1-0 defeat at the hands of the German powerhouse in Lisbon last year will rest on the shoulders of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, a combination that — this season — has yet to live up to the expectations the two most expensive players in the world generate.

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