Bayern, PSG walk tight rope
By Laolu Olugbenga
Bayern Munich will have a huge mountain to climb when they entertain FC Porto at the Allianz Arena. The Bavarians’ hopes of reaching the semi-final received a huge knock on the head following a 3-1 first leg loss to the Portuguese warlords. The squad has been hampered by injuries with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Davi Alaba, Mehdi Benatia among others missing the game through injury. They, however, recovered to beat Hoffenheim 2-0 in the Bundesliga, and while they are aware the tie is far from over, they will have a lot to do to progress. Most of the injured players will undergo fitness tests to determine their availability.
Porto will be eyeing their first semi final appearance since 2004, a year when they went on to lift the trophy. They have also won 13 out of 16 games in 2015 and are yet to taste defeat in the competition. Jackson Martinez and Christian Tello are nursing groin and thigh injuries, respectively, but they are likely to be fit.
PSG will aim to salvage some pride when they face Barcelona at the Camp Nou. They suffered a 1- 3 loss in the first leg, ending a 33-game European unbeaten run in Paris. This was without a host of key players, making it a lot easier for the Catalans. They will now need a superb performance if they are to go through. Marco Verrati and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be available for the clash, but Thiago Silva and Thiago Motta will both be unavailable. Barcelona are a side on fire at the moment. They have continued to lead the La Liga table despite losing some ground against Sevilla. A place in the semis is almost guaranteed as they look to win their first Champions League title since 2011.
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