Both men share a lot of history owing to their time in Spain as managers of Real Madrid and Barcelona and are set to reignite their rivalry in what should be a scintillating encounter. Both the managers have a number of players in their roster who could really be the difference makers for their respective sides.
Here are five players who if played could have a significant effect on the final score:
Franck Ribery
The French international’s antics last season guided the Bavarians to a historical treble, his performances may well earn him the Ballon d’Or award an accolade he believes he is well deserving of.
The 30 year old will be raring to prove why he is currently one of the best players in the world and the Chelsea defence will do themselves a favour by not allowing the former Marseille man much time on the ball.
Toni Kroos
With both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thiago Alcantara likely to miss Friday’s tie due to injuries, Toni Kroos is likely to deputise in the middle of the park. Kroos is currently one of the brightest prospects in world football and this might be the perfect time for him to showcase his talents and prove to his manager why he is worthy of a first team berth.
The youngster had his first team appearances cut short due to a knee injury back in April which kept him out of the remainder of the season. Upon his return incoming manager Pep Guardiola made a number of signings which has put the youngster’s place in the first team in jeopardy. However the 23 year old will be hungry to win back his place in the starting line-up and we can expect him to put a solid performance against Chelsea.
Mario Gotze
Even though Mario is still adjusting to life in Munich, it will only be a matter of time before he starts showing his true colours. The Bavarians signed the former Dortmund man for a club record fee which completely justifies the amazing talent that he is.
The 21 year old is yet to open his scoring account for his new team in a competitive match and will be hoping to make that happen on Friday. A gifted player who has a penchant for the extraordinary, Gotze can really hurt Chelsea with his amazing dribbling and passing skills.
Ramires
The Brazilian is regarded highly by his new manager Jose Mourinho who has given him a start in all the three competitive matches Chelsea have played so far this season. Deployed just in front of the back four Ramires has performed commendably as a defensive midfielder and has coupled his defensive duties with an impressive passing completion rate of 90%.
Jose Mourinho’s conservative style of play means that Ramires will have an important role to play in Chelsea’s UEFA Super Cup encounter against Bayern by putting up a disciplined performance.
Ramires is known to be a tireless midfielder and will be required to limit down the threat posed by Bayern’s talented midfield trio.
Branislav Ivanovic
The Serbian international has swiftly established himself as an important first team member in the Chelsea side and will be looking forward to another solid display. He will be up against the excellent Franck Ribery and must do his level best to limit the threat posed by the French international. Should he succeed in doing so, Chelsea have a chance of defying Bayern of a European title for the second time in two years.
Apart from his defensive duties, the full back has established a reputation of scoring goals and will certainly be a major threat from set pieces.
