Last tango in #Paris but #Leverkusen will fight - coach PARIS, March 11 (Reuters) - #Bayer Leverkusen will resist the option of fielding a second-string team despite taking an almost insurmountable 4-0 deficit to Paris St Germain on Wednesday for their #Champions #League last-16 second leg. We cannot just throw this game away because otherwise we can go ahead and send the Under-23 team, Leverkusen coach #Sami #Hyypia told reporters. I am really looking forward to the game and every player should feel the same. The former #Liverpool defenders team have been struggling since the winter break, a #German #Cup exit to second division Kaiserslautern last month followed by three straight #Bundesliga defeats. This is a challenge and we have to put in a good performance. I am a fighter and I hope my team has the same approach, said #Finn Hyypia. Leverkusen are without midfielder #Jens #Hegeler who tore ankle ligaments in the 1-1 draw against Hanover 96 on #Saturday and is out for the rest of the season. As far as the Champions League is concerned we are out, said keeper #Bernd #Leno who saved a penalty and was outstanding against #Hanover. But that does not mean we want to go and get slaughtered in Paris. PSG have been in rampant form since their first-leg rout, netting nine goals in three Ligue 1 outings. #Laurent #Blancs side have won their last five matches in all competitions. Led by talisman #Zlatan #Ibrahimovic, they have scored 16 goals and conceded twice. The #Sweden striker already has 38 goals in all competitions this season - more than one-third of #PSGs tally (102). We have many alternatives. When one player goes out, another comes in and its still the same rhythm, the same quality, and that is what a big team is about, said Ibrahimovic. PSG will have striker #Edinson #Cavani back after he spent time in Uruguay dealing with a personal issue. I hope he will be fit for #Wednesday, said Blanc who may use the game to make some fine-tuning to his team. The coach is especially keen to get more out of midfielder #Marco #Verratti. Marco must be more efficient offensively, said Blanc.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:42:22 +0000
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