PSG hope home hoodoo is over

PARIS • Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino is hoping his team's home form will match their away performances as they carry a 3-2 advantage against Bayern Munich into their Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Parc des Princes today.

The reigning French champions advanced from the last 16 with a 4-1 away win in the first leg against Barcelona before suffering in the return leg at home in a 1-1 draw.

In Ligue 1, their best performance of the campaign came last month in a 4-2 win at Lyon, which was followed nine days ago by a 1-0 home loss to leaders Lille, who remain three points ahead of second-placed PSG (66) with six games remaining.

"I agree that we've been better away from home," Pochettino said at his pre-match news conference yesterday. "It is something we will have to look into at the end of the season but let's hope things start turning around tomorrow."

PSG suffered in Munich last Wednesday, with the German champions boasting 31 attempts on goal, but Pochettino's team, gunning for their maiden European Cup, were ruthless up front with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice.

They are, however, likely to be without captain Marquinhos after the Brazil centre-back picked up a muscle injury in the first leg.

"I don't know yet if he will play," said Pochettino. "We will see how he feels tomorrow and he could be in the squad but I don't think he will be able to start. So maybe he'll be on the bench."

Italy midfielder Marco Verratti is also eligible after recovering from Covid-19, which he picked up on international duty last month, while compatriot Alessandro Florenzi is back in the fold.

Having missed half a dozen players in the first leg in Munich, PSG's absentee list is clearing up, unlike Bayern's.

The European champions yesterday confirmed top scorer Robert Lewandowski "is not available" for the game, having failed to recover from the injury he suffered during the World Cup qualifiers with Poland. The Bavarians were already without long-term absentees Corentin Tolisso and Douglas Costa, while doubts have emerged over Lucas Hernandez, Jerome Boateng and Leon Goretzka.

There is also tension brewing between Bayern coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, with German media suggesting the former, who won the treble last year, may leave his position in the summer to replace outgoing Germany boss Joachim Low.

But Pochettino is refusing to read too much into their first-leg result at the Allianz Arena, calling Bayern, even in their weakened state, "the best team in Europe, best team in the world".

"It was already hard to keep the ball against Barcelona already, it doesn't matter who is playing. It's a question of collective attitude," the Argentinian explained.

"It's a challenge for tomorrow, being able to keep the ball and hurt the opposition.

"The Barca game is behind us and the Bayern game is another story. There will be moments when we will struggle and it's in these moments that we will need to show solidarity and solidity."

In the other quarter-final, Chelsea "host" Porto in Seville, with the Premier League side expected to advance to their first semi-final since 2013-14 after a 2-0 "away" win in the first leg. That game was also held in Spain due to Covid-19 travel restrictions between England and Portugal.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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PSG V BAYERN MUNICH