Bayern Munich host Benfica in the UEFA Champions League at the Allianz Arena, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Barcelona last time out.
Bayern Munich were beaten comprehensively in their last UEFA Champions League outing, and they will be desperate to get things back on track when they welcome SL Benfica to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night. Die Roten were beaten by Aston Villa prior to that as well.
Bayern Munich have picked up just one win from three matches in Europe this season. The home side’s fans will expect a strong reaction from the players, and it remains to be seen whether they can step up and get the job done.
On the other hand, Benfica are coming into this game on the back of a defeat against Feyenoord at home. It remains to be seen whether they can take advantage of Bayern Munich’s vulnerabilities and grind out a positive result away from home.
The Portuguese outfit have a quality squad at their disposal, and they are certainly capable of pulling off an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Sacha Boey is ruled out with a knee injury, and Aleksandar Pavlovic misses out with a broken collar bone. Josip Stanisic is out with a knee ligament injury and Hiroki Ito has a metatarsal fracture.
Bayern Munich will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Benfica, with Manuel Neuer in goal. Raphael Guerreiro and Alphonso Davies will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Kim Min-jae will likely start alongside Eric Dier at the heart of the defence.
Joshua Kimmich and Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and control to the side in the midfield pivot. Thomas Muller will be deployed in the no. 10 role, and he will look to link up with Harry Kane in the final third and create opportunities for his side. Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Dier, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Muller, Gnabry; Kane
Benfica
Gianluca Prestianni misses out with an ankle injury, Leandro Barreiro misses out with a thigh injury and Tiago Gouveia misses out with a shoulder injury. Benfica are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation against Bayern Munich, with Anatoliy Trubin in goal.
Alexander Bah and Alvaro Carreras will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Bayern Munich on the break. Tomas Araujo will start alongside Nicolas Otamendi in the central defensive pairing.
Florentino Luis will start as the defensive midfielder here alongside Orkun Kokcu and Fredrik Aursnes. They will look to break up the opposition attack and add creativity from the deep. Angel Di Maria and Kerem Aktorkoglu will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace, flair and creativity from the flanks. Finally, Vangelis Pavlidis will lead the line for Benfica.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Otamendi, Carreras; Kokcu, Florentino, Aursnes; Di Maria, Pavlidis, Aktorkoglu
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have scored at least four goals in their last three matches against SL Benfica in all competitions.
- Bayern Munich have won their last four matches against Benfica in all competitions.
- 24 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between Barcelona and Benfica.
- Benfica have picked up five wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
- Bayern Munich have picked up four wins from the last five matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The England international striker is our key player to watch out for. Kane has been outstanding for the German club this season, and he will look to add to his goal tally here. The experienced striker is more than just a goalscorer and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well.
Benfica looked quite vulnerable at the back in the last UEFA Champions League outing, and they will struggle to contain Bayern Munich here unless they improve immensely. Meanwhile, Kane has been involved in the most goals in the UEFA Champions League since the start of last season (13 goals, 4 assists in 15 games).
The Englishman’s 13 goals are the joint most by a Bayern Munich player in their first 15 appearances, along with Roy Makaay, while only Erling Haaland (16 at Manchester City, 15 at Borussia Dortmund) has netted more in his first 15 games for a club in Champions League history. Kane will look to bolster his numbers this midweek against SL Benfica.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 SL Benfica
Bayern Munich will be thoroughly disappointed with their performance against Aston Villa and Barcelona. Die Roten will be desperate to get back to winning, and they will look to get their UEFA Champions League campaign back on track.
The hime side are undoubtedly the favourites here. Bayern Munich have a formidable squad, and they should be able to find a way past Benfica. A comfortable home win is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for Vincent Kompany and his charges.