“Very reliable”
After the suspension of Benjamin Pavard in the Champions League duel with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann relies on the internationally inexperienced Josip Stanisic in defense. “I assume he will play. Stani had a bit of a thigh problem, but was able to train,” Nagelsmann said at a press conference on Tuesday. The round of 16 second leg against PSG will take place on Wednesday (9 p.m. / DAZN) in Munich.
The 22-year-old Stanisic is “very reliable”, praised Nagelsmann. “He plays his boot down, defends well, has good speed, is a good footballer but doesn’t overdo it. He played himself into it. Because we have to do without Benji, he’s a step ahead.” As in the past two games, the Croatian will be given preference over João Cancelo, who is on loan from Manchester City and has a more attacking focus. Stanisic has made 17 appearances across all competitions this season, six of them from the start. In the “premier class” he only played eight games during his young career.
Defending PSG stars Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi is not only a big task for Stanisic, but for the entire team, Nagelsmann emphasized. You have to “solve things collectively”. After the 1-0 in the first leg in Paris, it was also important to play forward. “It will be a key not to limit yourself to defending,” said the 35-year-old coach. You are very well prepared.
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