Thanks to the magic works of Jupp Heynckes, the Bavarians are unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 matches. The feat includes 13 successive victories in all competitions. Likewise, the Allianz Arena has proved to be a real fortress for the German side as they are yet to be beaten by any club in their backyard this season.
Although impressive, there is a small chink in the armor of the high-flying side. Bayern Munich has kept just a single clean sheet in their last seven games on home soil across all competitions. They have scored 22 times and have simultaneously picked the ball out of their nets 10 times in these games.
This, of course, is partly due to the fact that Die Roten has lost their reliable last line of defense Manuel Neuer to injury for the most part of the season. The German No. 1 has since been replaced by his compatriot, Sven Ulreich. The former VfB Stuttgart man has settled in quite well in recent times despite a topsy-turvy start. Nonetheless, his performance in post has been slightly above average with the number of goals he’s conceded thus far attesting to the fact.
Besiktas may be regarded as underdogs but their impressive form this season should count for something heading into the upcoming Champions League encounter. The Turkish club has lost just two of its last 24 competitive matches and is unbeaten in the last seven.
Another interesting bit of statistic is that Besiktas progressed to the Round of 16 of the European competition without losing a single game despite drawing twice in Group G. With regards to their attacking prowess, Şenol Günes’ side has scored in all but one away game this season.
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Regardless of losing top scorer Cenk Tosun to Everton in the winter transfer window, the visitors are expected to put in a great performance at the Allianz Arena with either Alvaro Negredo or Vagner Love leading the charge. Can the two provide enough firepower to cause an upset in Munich?
