Kylian Mbappe insisted Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich will not affect his future as the striker focuses on the Ligue 1 title.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry's second-half strikes at Allianz Arena on Wednesday secured a 2-0 victory for Bayern and a 3-0 aggregate triumph in the last-16 clash.

Defeat marked a second straight Champions League elimination in the first knockout round for PSG, who have repeatedly had to battle interest from Real Madrid to keep Mbappe in the French capital.

The France international previously refuted suggestions a European crown will dictate his future and reiterated that message after another miserable PSG outing on the continental stage.

When asked by reporters whether the elimination would impact his future, Mbappe said: "No, no, I'm calm, the only thing that matters to me this season is winning the championship and then we'll see."

Christophe Galtier's side sit eight points clear at the Ligue 1 summit as they aim to defend their French top-flight crown.

However, Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed just last season for failing in the same Champions League round, in which they lost a dramatic tie against Carlo Ancelotti's eventual champions Madrid.

PSG have played 137 games in UEFA's top club competition without lifting the trophy, only Arsenal (177) have endured a longer such run in the competition, excluding qualifiers.

Galtier's visitors were somewhat unfortunate in Munich, though, as Vitinha saw his first-half effort towards an open goal cleared by a remarkable Matthijs de Ligt goal-line intervention.

Mbappe acknowledged there was little to separate the two heavyweight sides, though that did little to quash his frustration.

The 24-year-old added: "We are disappointed. That's how it is, we have to move on, try to challenge everyone.

"We didn't miss much when we look at the state of the two teams, [but] they have a team built to win the Champions League.

"At the start of the season, during the first Champions League press conference, I said that we were going to do our best and give our maximum.

"We're going to question ourselves and go back to our day-to-day life in Ligue 1."

Bayern Munich were indebted to Matthijs de Ligt's heroics against Paris Saint-Germain and Yann Sommer offered the centre-back a sweet reward for his pivotal Champions League intervention.

Julian Nagelsmann's side recorded a 3-0 aggregate triumph in the last-16 on Wednesday after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry secured a 2-0 second-leg triumph at Allianz Arena.

However, PSG should have twice restored parity in the tie in the first half as Alphonso Davies thwarted Lionel Messi from close range before De Ligt cleared off the line with Vitinha firing at an open goal.

The latter chance came from an inexplicable Sommer error as he squandered possession inside his own area and the goalkeeper joked a deserved treat will await for De Ligt's last-ditch efforts.

"I will leave a truck filled with Swiss chocolate on his doorstep!," Sommer said on DAZN, before attempting to explain his error.

"The problem was, I had my solution to pass to [Josip] Stanisic but it was closed, then I had no more solution," he added.

"It was unbelievable what De Ligt was doing there, of course, I'm not happy with [my part] in the scene. 

"It's amazing how he thinks and saves me. If that goes wrong, then this game looks very different."

De Ligt's hooked clearance at full stretch proved the difference as Bayern kept a fourth straight clean sheet in the Champions League, their longest run in the competition without conceding.

While Sommer hailed his centre-back team-mate, Gianluigi Donnarumma was left to rue a "disappointing" performance as PSG were dumped out at the last-16 stage in Europe for a second straight term.

"There's a lot of disappointment in the dressing room," the Italy international told Canal Plus. 

"In the Champions League, the small details make the difference. We could have done better in the first half, we didn't. We're all annoyed and disappointed."

Christophe Galtier lamented Paris Saint-Germain's defensive errors after their Champions League last-16 elimination to Bayern Munich on Wednesday raised questions over his future.

PSG had no answer to a clinical second-half Bayern performance as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry scored at Allianz Arena to secure a 2-0 win and 3-0 aggregate triumph.

That ensured back-to-back last-16 eliminations for PSG, who have played 137 Champions League games without lifting the trophy – only Arsenal (177) have endured a longer such run, excluding qualifiers.

Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed by PSG last season after falling at the same stage in Europe and Galtier, while expressing his commitment, acknowledged his future may be out of his hands.

The PSG coach told Canal Plus: "It's really too early to talk about it. My future obviously depends on the management and my president. 

"There is a disappointment, that's how it is. The club pinned a lot of hopes on this competition. I'm staying the course, I'm still focused on the end of the season with a lot of energy and determination."

PSG started the brighter of the two sides in Munich as Lionel Messi and Vitinha were both denied by last-ditch blocks, with the latter thwarted by a remarkable Matthijs de Ligt goal-line clearance in the first half.

Bayern grew into the game after the interval and deservedly progressed to their 21st Champions League quarter-final. No side has reached more in the competition's history.

That left Galtier ruing missed chances and lapses in concentration, with Marco Verratti easily dispossessed in his own half in the build-up to Choupo-Moting's 61st-minute opener against his former side.

"We didn't know how to score our opportunities," he added. "We had a good first period where we had situations. We were able to compete well, we had chances.

"But in the second half we conceded this really stupid goal, at this level you have to be calmer. Obviously, we were under pressure from Bayern, we knew that.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of playing long to break this pressure. After an hour, when you are behind, it's starting to be difficult.

"I don't know if it's a lesson to be learned, but it's a disappointment, a frustration. If we had opened the scoring, the match would have been different."

PSG lost captain Marquinhos to injury after 36 minutes with an apparent hip injury, while Neymar missed the clash after his season-ending ankle injury required surgery.

"We had a lot of important absentees in the first game, a lot of important absentees in the second game," Galtier responded when asked about the difference in quality.

"We had to change central defenders, obviously that weakened us. We must look ahead now."

Danilo Pereira echoed his coach's sentiment on needless errors after PSG failed to keep a clean sheet in any Champions League game this season for the first time in a single campaign.

"Unfortunately we have to say that Bayern were stronger than us," the Portugal international told Canal Plus. "We had chances in the first half, we didn't take them.

"When that's the case in the Champions League, it becomes difficult. We made mistakes. It's hard to go out like this, but it's the Champions League.

"We haven't won many duels. I have no words... To progress, we must all be together, we must do things together and not individually."

He added: "We must fight back from this because Paris is a great team. We must be proud of ourselves. We have great players here, who must work together to grow."

Thomas Muller acknowledged Bayern Munich needed some good fortune to overcome Paris Saint-Germain and reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Julian Nagelsmann's side were indebted to Matthijs de Ligt's goal-line clearance from Vitinha in the first half at Allianz Arena after Yann Sommer's error offered the PSG midfielder an open goal.

De Ligt subsequently hooked off the line, keeping Bayern 1-0 ahead in the tie after Kingsley Coman's first-leg strike, before Nagelsmann's men seized control of the return meeting.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting came back to haunt his former side PSG with a second-half strike before Serge Gnabry sealed progression, though Muller was thankful for the fine margins fell for Bayern.

"You have to be honest, in a football game like this there are always moments when you need luck on your side," Muller told DAZN.

"We had that one moment when Yann loses the ball, which Matt clears the ball on the line. If it goes to 1-0 there, you don't know how the teams will react to that.

"But we shed our shyness in the second half in particular, we were clearer in defence, so we played the better game in the second half and deserved to win."

A 3-0 aggregate triumph saw Bayern progress to the Champions League quarter-finals for the 21st time, no other club has managed to reach the last eight as often.

A battling performance, coupled with clinical finishing, marked continued progression under Nagelsmann, whose side have put a poor start to 2023 behind them to fight back in the Bundesliga title race.

Nagelsmann was disappointed with what he saw in the first half as PSG twice went close to levelling the tie on aggregate, but the Bayern coach was impressed with his team's second-half response.

"In the first half we did what we discussed before the game wrong, PSG pulled a lot of players into the build-up, we then let ourselves be pulled into position, were too impatient," he told DAZN.

"The spaces were too big. We had a lot of space with the ball, but we were too scared.

"We didn't do that anymore in the second half, we won the ball well and gained a lot of depth down the right. We were clearly better in the second half and deserved to win."

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting haunted former side Paris Saint-Germain as Bayern Munich reached the Champions League quarter-final with a 2-0 win that secured a 3-0 aggregate triumph.

Julian Nagelsmann's side progressed to the last eight in Europe for a fourth straight season after Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry's second-half strikes in the second leg on Wednesday.

Bayern were earlier indebted to Matthijs de Ligt, though, after his remarkable goal-line clearance thwarted Vitinha in the first half at Allianz Arena.

De Ligt's last-ditch intervention, coupled with Choupo-Moting's cool finish and a breakaway Gnabry goal, saw PSG fail to reach Champions League quarter-finals for a second consecutive season.

Aiming to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit, PSG created the more promising chances in a first half bereft of cutting edge.

Alphonso Davies produced a last-ditch block to deny Lionel Messi from Nuno Mendes' offload, while Jamal Musiala forced a smart Gianluigi Donnarumma save at the other end.

PSG lost captain Marquinhos to an apparent hip injury soon after, before De Ligt cleared off the line from Vitinha after Yann Sommer's inexplicable error offered an open goal.

Choupo-Moting headed past Donnarumma after the interval, only for Thomas Muller's offside position to ensure the goal did not stand, but the striker was not to be denied.

Muller dispossessed Marco Verratti inside PSG's half before Leon Goretzka's selfless square pass afforded Choupo-Moting a simple 61st-minute tap-in.

Sommer then produced a stunning stop from Sergio Ramos' bullet header before Joao Cancelo teed up Gnabry, who made sure of progression with a composed 89th-minute finish.

Paris Saint-Germain were dealt another injury blow as captain Marquinhos limped off against Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash.

Christophe Galtier's side have already lost Neymar for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury which requires surgery to repair ligament damage.

And Marquinhos added to those injury woes as he left the Allianz Arena pitch with an apparent hip injury despite not coming into contact with the ball or another player as his side defended a Bayern free-kick in the first half.

Nordi Mukiele replaced the Brazil international in the 36th minute as the Ligue 1 champions aimed to overturn a one-goal deficit from the Parc des Princes first leg in Europe's top club competition.

While the extent of the injury remains unclear, Galtier will hope to have key defender and skipper Marquinhos back soon as PSG aim to defend their Ligue 1 crown, sitting eight points clear at the summit.

Mason Mount's future at Chelsea remains uncertain, with his current deal due to expire in 2024.

Mount has rebuffed multiple contract offers from the Blues, prompting speculation he could move on.

Chelsea are determined to hang on to the 24-year-old but if they cannot, the optimal time to sell may be at the end of this season.

TOP STORY – MAGPIES TO RIVAL REDS IN MOUNT RACE

Newcastle United will join the pursuit to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount at the end of this season, claims the Daily Mail.

Liverpool have been linked with Mount given his contract status, but the Magpies could rival that interest given their deep pockets.

Financial Fair Play rules may limit Newcastle's ability to land Mount having spent £165million this season on Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman and others.

 

ROUND-UP

– The Sun claims Arsenal's top two priorities for the off-season are signing Napoli forward Victor Osimhen and West Ham United's Declan Rice. The Nigerian, who has interest from Manchester United too, wants to play in the Premier League one day.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all retain interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo despite penning a new deal until 2027 last week, claims Football Insider. According to the report, Brighton's asking price is upwards of £90m.

– Footmercato reports Real Madrid head of recruitment Juni Calafat met with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham at a London hotel on Tuesday, as numerous clubs circle for the England international.

Liverpool sent scouts to watch coveted Benfica defender Antonio Silva and midfielder Florentino Luis last Friday, claims 90min. Real Madrid have been linked with Silva, while Tottenham have a reported interest in the pair.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are all proactively keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot's situation and availability, claims 90min.

Bayern Munich will not sign Joao Cancelo permanently after this season, instead letting him return to Manchester City upon the conclusion of his loan spell, according to Calciomercato.

For Paris Saint-Germain, every new season brings a "this is it" feeling with regards to their Champions League hopes.

It's been the club's obsession ever since the Qatari state poured in their petrodollars back in 2011, and after a few years of building up a head of steam domestically, European success has been the chief aim.

Each pre-season sees the arrivals of new superstars, most years bring a new coach who has the ownership group's vain ambitions thrust upon their shoulders. The faces change, the goal doesn't – and neither, until now, has the ultimate destination.

Here we are in March 2023 and PSG still haven't won Europe's top prize. They find themselves 1-0 down after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich, meaning they need to win at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

It feels quite early in the season for such a talented group of players to find themselves in a "do or die" position, but that's the harsh reality.

This kind of situation is arguably the whole point of their vast spending, though: having the world-beaters who can almost single-handedly get you out of such a predicament. After all, a 1-0 deficit is hardly insurmountable.

Obviously, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will be looked to as the keys to survival and progression. PSG's Qatari overlords might even go as far as saying they were brought to Paris to win the Champions League: that's their job.

Of course, their time together at the club has been blighted by speculation of a fractured relationship, partly due – apparently – to Messi being so close to Neymar, who Mbappe is also said to have become distanced from.

But we're not here to indulge those interested in the kind of juvenile nonsense pedalled by clickbait merchants who're obsessed with the pantomime vilification of anyone/anything.

In fact, there is plenty of evidence that Mbappe and Messi genuinely "get" each other on the pitch. Their 21 goal combinations since the start of last season is nine more than any other pairing across the top five leagues.

PSG's excellent 3-0 win over Marseille in Le Classique at the end of February was a prime example of them clearly having rapport. Both of Mbappe's goals were set up by Messi; Messi's goal was set up by Mbappe.

For the first, Messi spotted the devastating run of Mbappe, who applied a clinical finish. They then switched roles for 2-0, the World Cup winner left with a tap-in from his partner's brilliant low cross.

They finished Marseille off in style. Messi's scooped pass released Mbappe, and he emphatically volleyed home from a tight angle.

Granted, it takes more than one match to show a telepathic on-pitch relationship has formed. But them switching it on as a duo shouldn't be sniffed at, particularly in the Classique.

Some might argue the absence of Neymar helped, and will continue to be a positive for the rest of the season.

Neymar will not play again this term due to an ankle injury, in what has seemingly become par for the course for the Brazilian in Paris. By the end of the 2022-23 campaign, he'll have played just 48 per cent of his possible minutes in Ligue 1 since joining, and the highest proportion of league minutes he'll have racked up in a single season will be 54.4 per cent.

But does it matter?

Some will fairly point out Neymar's 34 goal involvements across all competitions this season is bettered only by Mbappe (37) and Erling Haaland (38), and level with Messi. This is true, but does he really carry the same importance as the other two? And, as a trio, are they really as lethal as you might expect them to be?

Since Messi joined, PSG actually have a better win percentage when one of their star trio isn't starting (69.4 per cent, compared to 64.7 per cent). Admittedly that's not a significant difference, but over the same period their win rate when Neymar isn't in the starting XI is 75.9 per cent and 63 per cent when he is.

By comparison, when one of Mbappe or Messi drop out of the line-up, PSG's win percentage falls from 72.9 to 60.

For all his talents, many don't think Neymar will be missed. Former France international Christophe Dugarry is among them.

"I'm happy for PSG that Neymar is injured. I think this is an incredible opportunity for [Christophe] Galtier. The team is much more balanced with five defenders and Mbappe and Messi up front," Dugarry told RMC Sport. 

"I can't watch [Neymar] anymore, I can't stand him anymore. I can't stand his dribbling and that attitude. I don't want to see him on the field anymore, I'm tired."

Proving Neymar's absence makes PSG better is arguably impossible, but Dugarry's comments do strike a chord when he speaks of balance – even Galtier accepts they will be more balanced without the Brazilian.

Galtier does not think it makes them a better team, but that balance is potentially more important at the moment, especially in Europe.

PSG are the only side left in the Champions League who haven't kept a clean sheet in the competition this season, and in all competitions they have only managed two shutouts since the World Cup.

Of course, the situation is slightly more nuanced than being a case of "getting rid of Neymar equals a good defence", but Julian Nagelsmann pinpointed PSG's strength.

"What we need is to prevent them from using their pace," he said. "In Ligue 1, they often defend deep and play on the counter-attack. If you give their attackers too much space and they can unleash their footballing qualities, it's incredibly difficult to defend."

When it comes to pace and speed on the attack, is Neymar really essential for that?

Maybe he was the missing piece all these years. Perhaps, had Neymar not been injured so often in the second half of the season, they'd have won the Champions League by now.

But given how much of the past six years Neymar's missed (52 per cent if you're counting…), it would almost be fitting if PSG went on to win the Champions League without him.

Champions League football returns this week with delicately poised ties in the quest to reach the quarter-finals.

Eyes will firmly be fixed upon Bayern Munich's hosting of Paris Saint-Germain, where the Bundesliga giants hold a narrow 1-0 lead from the first leg in the French capital and are aiming to inflict further continental disappointment upon their visitors.

Meanwhile, Tottenham welcome Milan to north London on the back of a disappointing defeat to Wolves in the Premier League and a surprise exit from the FA Cup at Sheffield United, now needing to come back from a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Italy to retain any hope of avoiding another season without a trophy.

Using Opta data, we've taken a close look at some of the key facts and stats for both fixtures.

Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain

Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Bayern will take confidence in the fact they have been eliminated just twice in the 22 previous occasions where they have won the first leg in a knockout European tie – against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals in 2001-02 and Inter in the round of 16 in 2010-11.

Bayern have won three of their last four home meetings with PSG, though did lose their last such encounter in the 2020-21 quarter-final, with their last three wins against the French side coming by a 1-0 scoreline, Kingsley Coman scoring the winner in two of those.

The hosts will be confident of scoring in Wednesday's clash, with PSG the only side remaining in the Champions League not to have kept a single clean sheet in the competition this season.

PSG's search of a response sees them needing to buck a trend, having progressed just once on the six occasions they have lost the first-leg – against Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20 – and the Ligue 1 side have won just one of their last seven against Bayern, having won four of their first five.

Kylian Mbappe has a strong record at the Allianz Arena, though, scoring three goals in his two previous games there, with no player ever scoring in three consecutive visits to the venue in the competition.

Tottenham v Milan

Tottenham's 1-0 loss at San Siro in the first leg was their first defeat in five meetings against Milan, with their two previous home fixtures against the Italians finishing in a 2-1 victory in April 1972 and a goalless draw in March 2011.

While Spurs have progressed from two of the last three European ties where they trailed from the first leg, they have lost four of their last six home matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Antonio Conte's record of five wins in his last six home matches against Milan is encouraging for the hosts, but Harry Kane will need to return to form after scoring just once in seven European games this season. However, he has scored six goals in his six Champions League appearances at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Milan travel to north London with a woeful record on English soil, only ever winning one of 21 such away games (D7 L13) and losing their last three visits to London by an aggregate scoreline of 9-1.

However, the Serie A side have been eliminated in just three of 21 European Cup/Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg and are enjoying a three-match winning streak in the competition – their best since a run of five in 2005.

Milan will be confident of scoring the first goal, with Spurs having conceded first in five of seven Champions League matches this term.

Christophe Galtier accepts Paris Saint-Germain's attack is more balanced without Neymar but refuted suggestions his side are stronger without the injured forward.

PSG confirmed ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg with Bayern Munich that Neymar will miss the rest of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.

The 31-year-old has been directly involved in 34 goals this term, which is behind only team-mate Kylian Mbappe (37) and Erling Haaland (38) across Europe's top five leagues.

Despite these impressive figures, former France striker Christophe Dugarry said he is "happy" Neymar is injured as Mbappe and Lionel Messi work better as a partnership.

While Galtier does not necessarily disagree with that assessment, the PSG head coach cannot see how being without a player boasting 18 goals this season can be a positive.

"I've read the debate around Neymar. It's unfortunate for him and a handicap for the team," Galtier said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"Look at his goals and assists this season. When I read that it could be a good thing for us, no! The player is seriously injured. 

"He's always been professional since I've been here, though he did have a difficult period after the World Cup.

"Is the team better balanced? Yes. But is it better like that? Having Neymar in the squad is an additional asset for us to score goals."

PSG travel to the Allianz Arena aiming to overturn a 1-0 deficit from last month's first leg in Paris, courtesy of Kingsley Coman's 53rd-minute goal.

On the six previous occasions PSG have lost the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie, they have advanced just once – against Borussia Dortmund in the 2019-20 campaign.

PSG may be without Neymar for the trip to Bavaria, but Kylian Mbappe has regained full fitness, and sharpness, since returning from a calf injury during the second half of the first leg.

Mbappe has 30 goals in 30 games this season – only Manchester City striker Haaland can better that tally across Europe's top five leagues, with 33 goals in 34 appearances.

The France forward has scored in his two previous Champions League away games at Bayern, and team-mate Marco Verratti is hoping Mbappe can prove the difference in this latest encounter. 

"In matches like this, we need everyone," Verratti said. "Mbappe is a player who is always present in the big matches.

"Kylian is Kylian. We are lucky to have him here. He has a great personality – we need players like him. We have confidence as we know nothing has been lost.

"There is a lot of pressure on us because something big is on the line. But we always like having that pressure here and I'm sure the team will give everything tomorrow."

For all the focus on PSG's attackers, they are the only side left in the Champions League yet to have kept a clean sheet in this season's competition.

However, asked if his side are too open defensively to go all the way in the competition, Galtier said: "Every system has it flaws and its strong points.

"In the last few games we've conceded goals. We have to fix that and we are working on it together.

"We talk about this a lot. There are flaws with us, but also with our opponent. We need to make sure we're vigilant and also daring in the way we attack."

Galtier also confirmed Achraf Hakimi is in line to feature against Bayern after recovering from injury, despite last week being charged with rape by French prosecutors.

Morocco defender Hakimi firmly denies the accusations and is confident of clearing his name.

Julian Nagelsmann says Neymar's absence for Paris Saint-Germain "does not change much" in terms of Bayern Munich's approach heading into Wednesday's showdown.

Bayern welcome PSG to the Allianz Arena boasting a 1-0 advantage from last month's Champions League last-16 first leg, courtesy of Kingsley Coman's second-half goal.

Neymar failed to have much of an impact in the reverse fixture, whereas Mbappe caused Bayern's defenders plenty of problems in the final 30 minutes after being brought on.

The France international, returning from a thigh injury ahead of schedule, forced Yann Sommer into a good save and had a couple of goals ruled out for offside.

With Mbappe now fit enough to play a full part, Nagelsmann believes PSG will cope just fine without Neymar, who has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury.

"It doesn't change much," Nagelsmann said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference when asked about Neymar being ruled out. 

"Mbappe plays from the start – that changes something. PSG have a clear idea with Lionel Messi and Mbappe up front. We have to prevent passes to Messi. 

"We also have to be patient. We know we can't defend every attack, so Yann will also have a part to play in goal."

Mbappe has 30 goals in 30 games this season – only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland can better that tally across Europe's top five leagues, with 33 goals in 34 games.

The 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner is aiming to become the first ever player to score in three successive visits to Bayern in the Champions League.

He claimed last week that PSG remain favourites to advance to the quarter-finals, despite being a goal down, but Bayern attacker Thomas Muller does not agree.

"Everyone can assess that for themselves," he said. "We won the first leg 1-0; I think that's an advantage. 

"But a one-goal deficit can always be caught up in football. I understand his opinion, he has a lot of self-confidence.

"He is a player who poses a threat to us. You have to think about how to prevent this. It's still a team sport. We have to block the passes and be courageous in duels."

While there is no questioning the quality of Messi and Mbappe in PSG's attack, they have struggled defensively at times this season.

Indeed, the Ligue 1 leaders are the only side left in the Champions League yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition this campaign.

"Their defence isn't a weakness," Nagelsmann said. "We have developed an idea for tomorrow in terms of how we can hurt them.

"We don't want to focus just on defending our lead; we want to also score goals ourselves."

Bayern have been eliminated just twice on the 22 previous occasions they have won the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie.

Lionel Messi knows Paris Saint-Germain's hopes of Champions League success will be dictated by the "small details" when they face Bayern Munich.

The Ligue 1 champions meet the Bundesliga champions in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday at Allianz Arena, having lost the first leg 1-0 on home turf.

Defeat capped a three-game losing run for Christophe Galtier's side, but they have responded since with a trio of dramatic victories to bounce firmly back.

Those wins have helped generate momentum heading towards their biggest game of the season yet, and Messi knows the little touches will decide who makes the quarter-finals.

"It is important to come into the game this way [after three wins]," he told the club's official website. "Before that, we were not in the best form we've been in this season.

"I think we have important victories to reinforce the team as we go to Munich. It will be a very tight and difficult match, where it is decided by small details.

"It is also very tough to win in Munich, but I think we are well-prepared. We are capable of turning the situation around. I feel very good.

"I think the team has changed in the last few matches. We have a different face, a different dynamic. [We have a] great hope to continue our journey in the Champions League.

"We will do everything we can to try to turn the situation around against Bayern and get through the round, which is everyone's goal."

Eric Choupo-Moting's contract extension with Bayern Munich will have no influence on a potential move for Tottenham talisman Harry Kane.

That was the message from Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic after Cameroon international Choupo-Moting signed a new deal until June 2024 on Friday.

The Bundesliga champions have been repeatedly linked with a move for Spurs striker Kane since losing the prolific Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

Sadio Mane arrived from Liverpool ahead of the 2022-23 season, but Choupo-Moting remains the Bavarian giants' only out-and-out frontman.

The 33-year-old has scored 10 times in 17 league appearances this season, and Salihamidzic is keen to see Choupo-Moting continue to develop as he gave little away about a potential move for England captain Kane.

"We're glad we have Choupo. I can't say what will happen in the summer yet," he told Sky Sport Germany.

When pressed on Choupo-Moting's renewal influencing a Kane deal, Salihamidzic added: "Nothing, that's nonsense. That's not our consideration at all.

"First of all, we extended Choupo. I hope he's the same, keep going, keep scoring and then we'll see."

Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga after 23 games, ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference after Saturday's 2-1 victory at Stuttgart for Julian Nagelsmann's side.

Julian Nagelsmann and Leon Goretzka urged Bayern Munich to become more ruthless after escaping with a 2-1 victory in Saturday's match at lowly Stuttgart.

Bayern held a convincing two-goal lead at Mercedes-Benz Arena with a little over an hour played after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting added to Matthijs de Ligt's first-half opener.

The visitors took their foot off the gas at that point, and it almost backfired as Juan Jose Perea pulled one back late on and Tanguy Coulibaly headed inches wide in added time.

Despite finishing with an expected goals (xG) return of 2.30 compared to 0.67 for Stuttgart, Nagelsmann conceded Bayern almost blew it.

"After going 2-0 up, we had several counter-attacks we didn't finish well," he told Sky Sport. "We had the game under control, but if you concede late on, things gets tight again.

"We have to finish our chances better and go for the third goal, then we'd kill it off."

Goretzka, who accumulated a game-high xG of 0.54 without scoring, agreed with his manager's assessment.

"We made a few mistakes after going 2-0 up," he said. "The opponent didn't believe they could get something out of the game after going 2-0 down.

"We have to act accordingly, but we didn't manage to do that in the last 15 minutes."

Thomas Muller, whose assist for Choupo-Moting's strike was his 300th direct goal involvement in the Bundesliga, looked to take positives from his side's sluggish finish.

"We're happy. We won and we're top of the table again," Muller said. "When FC Bayern is up there, I always have a good feeling.

"The fact that the game got tight at the end is maybe a good test for the Champions League game against PSG."

Bayern lead that last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 heading into Wednesday's second leg at the Allianz Arena thanks to Kingsley Coman's goal in the reverse fixture.

Asked if he intends to stick with the same line-up that started against Stuttgart, Nagelsmann gave little away.

"I have to analyse and see how PSG are doing, then I'll decide," he said.

Bayern have now won four of their past five league matches and are above Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table by virtue of a superior goal difference.

The 10-in-a-row champions have won 13 away game on the spin against Stuttgart, who are one of four sides on 19 points at the bottom of the division.

"It was an important win for us," said Choupo-Moting, who signed a new contract on Friday. "Of course we didn't play our best game, and we can improve a few things.

"The opponent didn't give up and made it difficult. After their goal, you could feel the atmosphere in the stadium and that they were hoping for a point."

Bayern Munich beat relegation-threatened Stuttgart 2-1 on Saturday to reclaim Bundesliga top spot from Borussia Dortmund on goal difference.

In-form Dortmund defeated RB Leipzig 2-1 on Friday to reach the summit, but Bayern responded well at Mercedes-Benz Arena as they made it four wins in five league outings.

Matthijs de Ligt's 25-yard drive shortly after clearing an effort off the line gave Bayern the lead six minutes before half-time, with the game having been evenly matched until that point.

The visitors added a second through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 62nd minute and saw out the victory, despite Juan Jose Perea pulling back a late goal for Stuttgart, boosting confidence ahead of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Fabian Bredlow produced a sublime save to keep out Leon Goretzka's early header, but Bayern did not look entirely comfortable against Stuttgart's high press and gave away chances.

Goalkeeper Yann Sommer was equal to Silas Katompa Mvumpa's near-post effort and De Ligt was then well positioned to hook Konstantinos Mavropanos' header off the line.

De Ligt was involved at the other end two minutes later as his low shot caught out Bredlow, who reacted late and could not keep the ball out despite getting a hand to it.

Kingsley Coman fired straight at Bredlow early in the second half, but Choupo-Moting slotted home a second for Bayern after being played in by Thomas Muller.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann introduced substitutes Sadio Mane, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry for the visitors, but it was Stuttgart who scored the next goal through Perea's angled header in the 88th minute, before fellow substitute Tanguy Coulibaly headed inches wide in a major let-off for Bayern.

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