Regardless of how indifferent their form has been of late, Bayern Munich are aware of the fact that Barcelona will not be an easy opponent tonight at the Allianz Arena
Bayern Munich tonight, host Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Allianz Arena in what many people have described as the poster game of the competition’s last four encounters.
Bayern Munich head into this game in exhilarating form, having scored 12 goals in their last two games and conceding only two. However, the Bavarians would be aware of the fact that European football is a different game and if they aspire to be in Wembley this May, they need to be at their best.
After two failures in the last three finals of the competition, Munich would be looking to break the curse and add a fifth European title to their name. Standing in front of them is a Barcelona side that beat them 5-1 on aggregate back in 2009 in the quarterfinals of the competition.
Barcelona who have won three European titles in the last seven years, would be looking to further fill their bulging trophy cabinet. After flirting with elimination in the previous round against Paris Saint-Germain, many people feel that they won’t be offered another chance like that against the Germans.
However, one cannot deny the fact that the current Barcelona side is not one to be trifled with. The Catalonians have made a habit to rise from the ashes and prove people wrong time and time again. Moreover, the residents of Camp Nou have always done well against German clubs which means that there is no easy way out for the Bavarians.
After not being able to fully use Lionel Messi in the second leg of the quarterfinal against PSG, Barcelona will have the luxury of fielding their saviour which means that things will be tough for the Germans. Although both teams love passing the ball around, it is very likely to see the visitors enjoy more possession which means that Munich will have to play on the counter.
Moreover, it will be the battles in midfield that could define the game. Giving Xavi Hernandez ample space to pick out a teammate would be a big mistake so it will be up to Bastian Schweinsteiger to minimize the Spaniard’s influence in the game.
Down the flanks, David Alaba and Philipp Lahm will have to be on their toes. There will be no room for error and even the slightest of a lapse in concentration could prove fatal.
Mario Gomez is set to start the game against the La Liga leaders owing to the suspension to Mario Mandzukic who already has had a great debut season for the Bavarians. Although Gomez has not featured as regularly as he did last season, his experience of playing on the big stage will prove to be vital for Bayern Munich. As of late the 27 year old has been in terrific form having scored six goals in the last 166 minutes he has played for Bayern Munich.
Although Barcelona are quite an intimidating side while going on the attack, it is their defence that has shown quite a lot of frailties this season. And, it will fall on the likes of Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller to exploit their opponent’s weakness in defence.
Scoring goals is something the Munich side has done for fun this season, and in the league only the Bavarians have scored a massive 89 goals. However it should also be kept in mind that their Spanish counterparts having played two extra games are one short of a century of goals in the league.
And finally there is the question of the mercurial Lionel Messi. It is still not clear if the Argentine is a 100 percent fit or not, but his presence on the field is enough to intimidate the opposition – a fact that Carlo Ancelotti will attest to.
Regardless, Bayern Munich have been a joy to watch in Germany and in Europe this season and knowing Jupp Heynckes, the astute tactician will definitely have a plan up his sleeve to neutralise the effect of Messi and test Barcelona’s questionable defence.
Bayern Munich head into this game in exhilarating form, having scored 12 goals in their last two games and conceding only two. However, the Bavarians would be aware of the fact that European football is a different game and if they aspire to be in Wembley this May, they need to be at their best.
After two failures in the last three finals of the competition, Munich would be looking to break the curse and add a fifth European title to their name. Standing in front of them is a Barcelona side that beat them 5-1 on aggregate back in 2009 in the quarterfinals of the competition.
Barcelona who have won three European titles in the last seven years, would be looking to further fill their bulging trophy cabinet. After flirting with elimination in the previous round against Paris Saint-Germain, many people feel that they won’t be offered another chance like that against the Germans.
However, one cannot deny the fact that the current Barcelona side is not one to be trifled with. The Catalonians have made a habit to rise from the ashes and prove people wrong time and time again. Moreover, the residents of Camp Nou have always done well against German clubs which means that there is no easy way out for the Bavarians.
After not being able to fully use Lionel Messi in the second leg of the quarterfinal against PSG, Barcelona will have the luxury of fielding their saviour which means that things will be tough for the Germans. Although both teams love passing the ball around, it is very likely to see the visitors enjoy more possession which means that Munich will have to play on the counter.
Moreover, it will be the battles in midfield that could define the game. Giving Xavi Hernandez ample space to pick out a teammate would be a big mistake so it will be up to Bastian Schweinsteiger to minimize the Spaniard’s influence in the game.
Down the flanks, David Alaba and Philipp Lahm will have to be on their toes. There will be no room for error and even the slightest of a lapse in concentration could prove fatal.
Mario Gomez is set to start the game against the La Liga leaders owing to the suspension to Mario Mandzukic who already has had a great debut season for the Bavarians. Although Gomez has not featured as regularly as he did last season, his experience of playing on the big stage will prove to be vital for Bayern Munich. As of late the 27 year old has been in terrific form having scored six goals in the last 166 minutes he has played for Bayern Munich.
Although Barcelona are quite an intimidating side while going on the attack, it is their defence that has shown quite a lot of frailties this season. And, it will fall on the likes of Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller to exploit their opponent’s weakness in defence.
Scoring goals is something the Munich side has done for fun this season, and in the league only the Bavarians have scored a massive 89 goals. However it should also be kept in mind that their Spanish counterparts having played two extra games are one short of a century of goals in the league.
And finally there is the question of the mercurial Lionel Messi. It is still not clear if the Argentine is a 100 percent fit or not, but his presence on the field is enough to intimidate the opposition – a fact that Carlo Ancelotti will attest to.
Regardless, Bayern Munich have been a joy to watch in Germany and in Europe this season and knowing Jupp Heynckes, the astute tactician will definitely have a plan up his sleeve to neutralise the effect of Messi and test Barcelona’s questionable defence.
