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Bayern Munich travel to Athens for third UCL group stage match

By Kiran Thakare

MUNICH, GERMANY - OCTOBER 02: Mats Hummels of Muenchen and Arjen Robben of Muenchen celebrates the opening goal for Bayern Muenchen with their team mates Robert Lewandowski of Muenchen, Joshua Kimmich of Muenchen and Franck Ribery of Muenchen during the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Bayern Muenchen and Ajax at Allianz Arena on October 2, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - OCTOBER 02: Mats Hummels of Muenchen and Arjen Robben of Muenchen celebrates the opening goal for Bayern Muenchen with their team mates Robert Lewandowski of Muenchen, Joshua Kimmich of Muenchen and Franck Ribery of Muenchen during the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Bayern Muenchen and Ajax at Allianz Arena on October 2, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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Bayern Munich travel to Greece to face AEK Athens in the third group stage game of their 2018-19 Champions League campaign.

The Champions League is back in action this week, and Bayern Munich — who finally ended their torrid run of form over the weekend with a convincing 3-1 win over Wolfsburg — is hoping to carry their momentum into their European clash with Greek side AEK Athens.

Bayern are massive favorites to finish top of their group. However, they suffered a shock result against Ajax in their last UCL tie. The Dutch side held the German champions to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena. The Bavarians are still on track to finish first in the group, but they’ll need a solid performance against Athens on Tuesday to help alleviate any doubts.

AEK Athens have suffered two defeats in as many games in the Champions League this season. It was a tight affair on the last matchday, though, when they lost to Benfica by a slender margin. They will be hoping to somehow clinch the third-place spot in order to feature in the Europa League, but will need a miraculous positive result against Bayern in order for their European hopes to remain intact.

Team News

Bayern Munich have named a strong squad for this game. Franck Ribery, who cut a frustrated figure on the bench over the weekend, is set to miss the game due to back issues.

Youngsters Meritan Shabani and Jonathan Meier have traveled with the first team, though it’s unlikely either will receive any minutes. Jerome Boateng was not risked against Wolfsburg as he suffered a minor knock during the international break. The German defender is now completely fit and was also part of the travelling squad. Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman remain the only long-term absentees for the visitors.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac is set to rotate his starting lineup in this game. Manuel Neuer will continue to keep his place in goal as Sven Ulreich continues to wait for his first start of the season. Jerome Boateng is likely to replace Mats Hummels in the lineup and partner Niklas Sule in the heart of defense. Joshua Kimmich and Rafinha will play in the right-back and left-back positions, respectively.

Thiago Alcantara has been the heartbeat of Bayern’s midfield this season. The Spaniard is unlikely to get any rest tomorrow and could feature against AEK Athens. Renato Sanches and Leon Goretzka came off the bench against Wolfsburg, so Kovac is likely to give the young duo an opportunity to feature in the starting lineup on Tuesday.

Robert Lewandowski was back in form against Wolfsburg as he was involved in all the three goals. The Pole will keep his place in the lineup and lead the line for the Bavarians in Greece. Thomas Muller is likely to get a start against the Greek side. The German will play on the right side while Serge Gnabry will be the left winger in this formation.

"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Boateng-RafinhaSanches-Thiago-GoretzkaMuller-Lewandowski-Gnabry"

Opposition Focus

Bayern are massive favorites for Tuesday’s game, but AEK Athens have the quality to cause an upset. The Greek club have been in fine form in their domestic league, where they have remained unbeaten at home and have collected a respectable amount of points on their away trips. This strong start to the season has propelled them to third place, trailing the league leaders by three points.

The Bavarians will dominate the possession, so the home side will have to show resilience at the back. They have a solid defensive record, though, which can be a real detriment for Bayern. Petros Mantalos and Viktar Klonaridis are dangerous midfield players that have good goalscoring ability. Anastasios Bakasetas and Ezequiel Ponce, meanwhile, are an attacking duo that can cause problem for Bayern’s leaky defense.

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Prediction

AEK Athens 1-3 Bayern Munich

The Bavarians would like to maintain their momentum from the weekend. AEK Athens have not enjoyed their time in the Champions League this season and will be eager to get the win on Tuesday. But I expect Bayern Munich to do a professional job and come home with three points.