Bayern Munich – Manchester City : Preview & Prediction
After a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim at the weekend saw them miss out on the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga, a month of unrest at Bayern Munich looks set to get even worse, with elimination from the UEFA Champions League (UCL) looking highly likely after a resounding 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the first leg of this quarter-final tie. Despite such a deficit, coach Thomas Tuchel maintained that his team “will not give up” as they look to become only the fifth side to win a UCL tie after losing the first leg by a margin of 3 or more goals.
No German team has ever achieved that feat, and Bayern are now looking to avoid losing both legs of a UCL tie for the third time in their history, with the previous two times being against Real Madrid. The omens don’t look good for them to achieve that feat, considering Bayern have scored more than once in just one of their last six games, while Tuchel has lost each of his last three personal meetings with City coach Pep Guardiola without his side scoring a goal.
Manchester City travel to Germany in the midst of a run of ten wins in a row in all competitions, and having last tasted defeat in early February (G12, E2 since). A first UCL title for the club is now firmly in Guardiola’s sights, while he is just one win away from 100 in this competition, a milestone only Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson have reached before the Spaniard.
With just one defeat in their 20 meetings with German opponents in the UCL (G16, E3), that achievement seems within Guardiola’s grasp. However, it is unlikely to be straightforward, given that the fact that the Citizens have won just one of their last six away games at European level (E4, P1) muddies the waters a little and perhaps sows a seed of doubt in a team that has so far failed to take a longed-for first UCL trophy.
Players to watch: If scoring goals against Manchester City is what Tuchel is looking for, it may be time to take Sadio Mané off his punishment and bring him back to his team, as he has scored ten times against City in his career, only scoring more against Crystal Palace (13). City goal killer Erling Haaland is on the verge of making history, needing one more UCL goal to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 12 goals in 2002/03 – the most in a single campaign by a Premier League player.
Standout Fact: Bayern Munich have not lost back-to-back UCL matches over 90 minutes since 2014.
Bayern Munich – Manchester City : Betting Tips
OVER 3.5 GOALS Odds: 2.00
