Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Holders Bayern host embattled PSG without Lewandowski Bayern’s lead scorer out of both quarter-final matches BERLIN: Holders Bayern Munich face a test of is huge,” Choupo-Moting said of facing his ex- their ability to defend their Champions League club. “It is the new edition of last year’s final. crown without top-scoring striker Robert Perhaps nobody would have expected that we Lewandowski at home to embattled Paris Saint would meet again so quickly.” Germain tonight. A knee injury has ruled Bayern, who are on a run of 19 games unbeaten Lewandowski out of both the quarter-final home in the Champions League, have a score to settle leg at the Allianz Arena and the return in Paris next with PSG, against whom they have lost five of their Tuesday. nine previous matches. Yet PSG have their own The timing could not be worse with problems, on and off the pitch. Lewandowski sidelined for the two-legged repeat Brazil superstar Neymar was sent off during of last season’s Champions League final when a Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Lille, who usurped Kingsley Coman header gave Bayern the title after Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG as French league lead- a 1-0 win over PSG. Of the 103 goals Bayern have ers. Kylian Mbappe, who scored four goals over scored either in the Bundesliga or Champions two legs in their last 16 to help knock out League this season, Lewandowski has contributed Barcelona, is expected to partner Neymar in PSG’s to 46 of them with either a goal or an assist. star-studded attack. Yet Bayern proved at the weekend that they can COVID-19 has cast a shadow over the PSG win a big game without him. Leon Goretzka hit the squad with both defender Alessandro Florenzi and winner in Saturday’s 1-0 victory at second-placed midfielder Marco Verrati having tested positive. RB Leipzig to leave Bayern seven points clear at Nevertheless, PSG’s German defender Thilo Kehrer, the top of the Bundesliga. who could replace Florenzi at right-back against “Obviously, they are better with Lewandowski,” Bayern, says the Parisian club is eager to avenge Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann said of Bayern. last season’s final defeat. “But they have a world-class team and brilliant “The frustration was huge, but in the meantime players to play in his place.” Having already faced we’ve turned it into motivation — and that has LEIPZIG: Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Leon Goretzka (right) celebrates scoring the first goal with an Leipzig, Lewandowski’s understudy Eric Maxim become even greater to win the Champions League assist from Bayern Munich’s German forward Thomas Mueller (center) during the German first division Choupo-Moting is set to make only his third now,” Kehrer told Sport Bild. Bayern have the Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on Champions League start this season against his strength in depth to cope without Lewandowski. Saturday. — AFP former club. Saturday’s match-winner Goretzka has been involved in seven goals in Bayern’s last five league ‘Huge anticipation’ matches. The burly 26-year-old showed great fin- “I guess Thomas was bored during the interna- be boosted by the return of fleet-footed left-back The 32-year-old Cameroon striker left PSG after ishing with a superb shot after being set up in tional break. I had to score to prove ‘Mull’ Alphonso Davies and center-back Jerome coming on as a replacement against Bayern in last Leipzig by Thomas Mueller, who has nicknamed his (Mueller) right,” quipped Goretzka when asked Boateng, who were both suspended for the game season’s Champions League final. “The anticipation team-mate ‘SCOREtzka’. about his new nickname. Bayern’s defense will also against Leipzig. — AFP Barca edge closer to Atletico after late Can PSG avenge last Dembele winner year’s Champions MADRID: Ousmane Dembele volleyed in a 90th- minute winner against Real Valladolid on Monday to League final loss? fire Barcelona to within a point of Atletico Madrid ahead of next weekend’s Clasico in La Liga. Barca PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain are seeking looked set for a damaging stalemate at Camp Nou revenge for their defeat in last season’s final after Atletico’s defeat by Sevilla on Saturday but when they renew acquaintances with Bayern Valladolid had Oscar Plano harshly sent off with 12 Munich in the Champions League last eight minutes left and Dembele snatched a 1-0 victory. this week, but the French giants appear to have His strike could prove a crucial moment in the gone backwards since then despite the arrival Spanish title race, with Barca now breathing down of Mauricio Pochettino as coach. Atletico’s necks ahead of Saturday’s meeting with News of Robert Lewandowski’s absence for Real Madrid, who are three points off the top. If the quarter-final first leg at the Allianz Arena Ronald Koeman’s men win at Valdebebas, they will tonight has understandably been met with claim first place for 24 hours at least, before a some delight in Paris, especially with Neymar depleted and deflated Atletico play away at Real recovering fitness following his latest lay-off. Nevertheless, PSG did not need Neymar Betis on Sunday. BARCELONA: Barcelona’s French forward Ousmane Dembele (center) celebrates after scoring during the when they delivered their signature perform- They will have to play better after being frustrat- Spanish League football match between FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid FC at the Camp Nou stadium in ance of the campaign so far to beat Barcelona ed by a determined Valladolid side, with Lionel Barcelona on Monday. — AFP Messi delivering some firm words to his team-mates 4-1 away in the last round. Marco Verratti did in the tunnel at half-time. “We have to step it up a play then, and the Italian playmaker’s absence gear, we have to play with more rhythm,” Messi now lies with Atletico’s rivals. Defeat also com- was blocked, while Pedri’s long-range effort fizzed in Munich following a positive COVID-19 test said. “If not it’s going to get complicated for us.” pounded what Valladolid coach Sergio admitted on through and came back off the post. could be a major problem for Pochettino. It might have been more complicated had Plano Sunday had already been a “sh**ty week” after five But Barcelona were flat, their passing predictable The Argentine, a former PSG captain, was not been shown a red card in the 78th minute, his of his players tested positive for COVID-19, leaving and there was concern in Messi’s voice when he appointed by the Qatar-owned club in January hack on Dembele from behind giving Barca a cru- him without 12 players, with six others injured and told his team-mates to find a different gear in the with the difficult brief of doing better than his cial advantage for the final stages. “We struggled in one more suspended. second half. Valladolid were almost undone by a the first half, to create scoring opportunities in To mark Messi breaking Xavi Hernandez’s Messi through ball for Dembele, who held his run attack, and also at the back, our pressing was not appearance record for the club, he was presented but could not finish before the leaping Antoine very good,” said Koeman. “I saw a Barca that was a with a framed shirt before kick-off, which he Griezmann headed the rebound wide. little slow, tired, we did not have control of the accepted with his family on the pitch. Messi passed Barcelona looked more dangerous on the break game. In the second half we have improved. We Xavi’s previous record of 767 appearances last than in possession and they were lucky to escape a have shown that without playing well, we are capa- month, with this his 769th. Valladolid were not just penalty when Oscar Plano poked the ball onto the ble of winning games.” able to compete in the first half, they were probably outstetched hand of Jordi Alba. Koeman made three Victory makes it six in a row for them in La Liga, the better side and could have led when Kenan changes shortly after, Martin Braithwaite, Francisco another win - particularly after an unconvincing Kodro’s early header struck the bar. Dembele broke Trincao and Ronald Araujo replacing Griezmann, performance - enhancing the sense that momentum through and dragged back for Messi, whose shot Sergio Busquets and Oscar Mingueza. — AFP Lingard lifts West Ham PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward into fourth Kylian Mbappe warms up prior to the French L1 football match between Paris-Saint LONDON: Jesse Lingard inspired West Ham to a Germain (PSG) and Lille (LOSC) at the Parc des thrilling 3-2 win at Wolves to move fourth in the Princes Stadium in Paris, on Saturday. — AFP Premier League on Monday, as Everton’s hopes of a top-four finish were dented in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace. sacked predecessor, Thomas Tuchel. Under Lingard’s stunning form since joining the Tuchel, the Parisians won every domestic tro- Hammers on loan from Manchester United in phy in France last season before reaching the January saw him earn a recall by England manager Champions League final for the first time. Gareth Southgate last month. The midfielder further In some ways there is more pressure on bolstered his case for inclusion in Southgate’s squad PSG now than there was for that 1-0 loss to for Euro 2020 as he ran from inside his own half to Bayern in Lisbon last August.