Bayern Munich’s 3-3 draw against Heidenheim was a result of the squad rotations in preparation for PSG. The second leg of the Champions League semifinal will need Vincent Kompany’s team to go beyond 100 percent and therefore rest for the main players was always in the plans. PSG on the other hand rested all of their starters aside from Pacho. Luis Enrique benefitted from greater depth in his squad.
The details of the PSG players rested are below as captured by @iMiaSanMia.
PSG draw 2-2 to Lorient ahead
of Wednesday’s return leg Minutes played by the expected starting XI: Safónov: 0 Zaïre-Emery: 30 Marquinhos: 0 Pacho: 90 Nuno Mendes: 0 Vitinha: 0 João Neves: 30 Fabián Ruiz: 60 Doué: 75 Dembélé: 0 Kvaratskhelia: 0
Which PSG players to watch out for in the second leg ?
The list gives an insight into the main channels of attack and defense from Luis Enrique. The core players who made the difference in the first leg and who can make the difference in the second leg were rested completely. Nuno Mendes to be able to handle a full 90 minutes of Michael Olise. Marquinhos who was outwitted by Luis Diaz was also given a full rest.
Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia were clinical pair along with their partner Désiré Doué. With Enrique relying on Doué as the main attacker for the league game, expect the left and middle to be the primary fronts of the Parisian attack. Vitinha is another player who can make the difference and run the midfield operations for the entire night. Lastly, like Bayern, the PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safanov was given a complete rest.
Bayern players received a mild rest in comparison
On the other hand, only Manuel Neuer and Dayot Upamecano in the Bayern team were rested for the whole game against Heidenheim. The front three had to be called in for the second half to rescue the team after going behind once again. Konrad Laimer and Jonathan Tah who will have a lot of marking and movement to do against PSG did not get much rest at all. In fact, among the two, only Tah was subbed out in the 77th minute.
The achievements that Bayern Munich have racked up this season despite operating with a thin squad is admirable. However, the board needs to dig in and bolster the team with quality additions. You cannot compete at the highest level on hope of no injuries or some individuals running out of steam and form. That is never going to work out for a professional team of the highest standards.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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