Every Bayern player to be a leader in PSG showdown: Joshua Kimmich

BERLIN: Midfielder Joshua Kimmich insists that every Bayern Munich player "must become a leader" if the defending champions want to reach the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday at Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern lost the home leg 3-2 last week, and there have been only been five previous occasions in the elite event that a team has rebounded from such a defeat in the away leg, DPA report.

Bayern themselves were on the losing end 2011 against Inter Milan but hope to emulate Manchester United who achieved that rare feat two years ago against PSG, winning 3-1 in Paris after losing 2-0 at Old Trafford.

The champions have never won in Paris, are still without injured star striker Robert Lewandowski, and coming off a meagre 1-1 league draw against Union Berlin, but are far from throwing in the towel.

"We're the better team, I believe that we will progress," Kimmich said in an interview on the club website. "Every player must become a leader in this game; everyone must show their character on the day and carry total belief in themselves. And then we have to strike when the chance is there!"

Bayern shot themselves in the foot by being wasteful last week in snowy Munich while PSG with their two-time scorer Kylian Mbappe were ruthlessly efficient.

"We were the better team in the first leg but unfortunately the result didn't correspond to the performance. Nevertheless, I'm confident that we can still turn it around in the second leg," Kimmich said.

PSG Coach Mauricio Pochettino is aware that "the second leg will be difficult" but forward Moise Kean said "we will be ready" for this "huge match."

Having lost last year's final 1-0 against Bayern, PSG are still chasing a first Champions League title, and so are Manchester City who take a slender 2-1 lead over Borussia Dortmund into their trip to Germany on Wednesday.

The winners of the two ties will meet in the semi-finals.

Record winners Real Madrid meanwhile take a 3-1 lead to Anfield for their second date Wednesday with 2019 winners Liverpool who have returned to form in the Premier League but face a huge challenge to stay alive.

"We need a perfect performance on Wednesday if we want to have a chance only - just for a chance," manager Juergen Klopp said.

The winner next faces 2012 winners Chelsea or Porto, with Thomas Tuchel's Blues seemingly well-placed for Tuesday's game after a 2-0 win in Seville, as both legs were relocated to the city due to coronavirus travel restrictions. IANS

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