Bayern Munich: Assessing potential UCL quarter-final match-ups
Bayern Munich are once again through to the Champions League quarter-finals. With the draw taking place tomorrow, here’s a look at the seven teams Bayern Munich could face.
Sevilla
Just inching ahead of the next team on the list for the easiest opponent Bayern Munich could face is Spanish club Sevilla. They’re really a tough club to assess, though, simply because their path to the quarter-finals was about as easy as it gets.
They came second (behind Liverpool) in their group, beating the likes of Spartak Moscow and Maribor — neither really European giants — into the runner-up position.
Their round of 16 fixture against Manchester United would normally be a pretty impressive victory. But any significance of that aggregate win was thrown out the window by the Red Devils’ abysmal performance at home thanks to Jose Mourinho’s supreme shortcomings as a tactician.
Don’t get me wrong, no team left in this competition made it this far by accident. And Sevilla, in particular, know what it takes to win in Europe. After all, they have won three of the past four Europa League titles. But a draw against La Liga’s fifth-placed club would no doubt be a favorable one for the Bavarians.
Roma
Roma is probably just a step ahead of Sevilla when it comes to difficulty as an opponent. Unlike the Spanish side, Roma actually topped their Champions League group, and did so after facing much sterner opposition in Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.
Nevertheless, Roma are still a tier or two below Bayern Munich on the European scale. Their slower, possession-focused and non-aggressive style of play would be easy for the Bavarians to break down.
Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule would have no trouble keeping Roma’s aging star-man Edin Dzeko quiet, while Arturo Vidal, James Rodriguez and co. would simply provide too much dominance in midfield for the Romans to handle.
Liverpool
Now we get to the tricky ones. First up, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, home to one of the most threatening offensive forces in Europe. As was made evident in Bayern’s pre-season tour, Liverpool’s attack is not to be taken lightly.
Sure, that pre-season match was a friendly, and Bayern was still under the reign of Carlo Ancelotti, but the fact still remains that the Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah trio is a force to be reckoned with.
The blistering pace of their attack and sheer offensive firepower would be a massive threat to Bayern Munich, whose undoubted defensive weakness is high-pressing and counter-attacks. And that just happens to be Jurgen Klopp’s specialty.
That being said, Liverpool’s defense is hardly anything to write home about. Even with the addition of Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool would be hard-pressed to stop Bayern’s attack from scoring at ease. This would be especially true on set-pieces, where the Bavarians’ physicality would provide them an overwhelming advantage.
If this draw were to take place, Bayern would no doubt hope to play the first leg at home and have to make sure to take care of their business at the Allianz Arena. Securing a win, or even a draw, at Anfield is a tall task, no matter who you are.
Real Madrid
Sweet, sweet revenge.
I have to admit, the thought of Bayern getting another go at the Spanish giants is mouth-watering, but the quarter-finals may be a little too soon. No matter who they face, die Roten will definitely feel the absence of both Manuel Neuer and Kingsley Coman. However, that may be most true if they are drawn against Real Madrid.
Even if they are having a poor season by their standards, they’re still Real Madrid. Coming off of back-to-back Champions League winning seasons, Zidane’s men still know exactly what it takes to win in Europe’s premier competition. Don’t believe me? Ask PSG.
Juventus
There’s a lot to say about this Juventus side, who narrowly made their way into the Champions League quarter-finals. If I had to describe the Italian side in one word: tenacious. They’re solid, experienced and don’t know what it means to give up.
On paper, there’s not much to separate the two sides. In fact, there’s many glaring similarities. Both have one of the world’s best strikers leading their offensive line (Robert Lewandowski and Gonzalo Higuain) who is accompanied by his more diverse partner in crime with whom he shares a great connection (Thomas Muller and Paulo Dybala).
They each have seriously talented midfields and greatly experienced defensive lines. And both teams even have a few players who used to ply their trade at the opposite club. It’s uncanny, really!
Even with all their similarities, the German champions probably have a slight advantage over their Italian counterparts. Or maybe I’m just biased. One thing is certain, though: if Bayern do draw Juventus, we’re in for one heck of a tie.
Barcelona
Two words: Lionel Messi. Take him away and Barcelona honestly looks like a pretty favorable draw for Bayern Munich. The Catalan midfield is aging, and not quite the impressive force it once was. Their defense has really taken shape recently, but still isn’t nearly as impressive as some others on this list.
And their attack could probably be managed. But Messi. The guy is just unreal. And as long as he is at Barcelona, they will remain in the very top tier of European clubs.
That being said, history is on Bayern’s side. In their ’12-13 season, Jupp Heynckes led an arguably less impressive Bayern squad than the current one to defeat Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate en route to an historic treble. Perhaps he could work his magic once again if the two should meet in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Manchester City
When playing well, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is the best team in Europe. They not only play some of the most fun to watch soccer on the globe, but also some of the most effective.
Kevin De Bruyne has arguably been the best player in the world this season, pulling the strings from midfield alongside David Silva. Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus are constant threats in the attacking third as well.
But if there’s one area where City can be exploited, it’s their defense. As Bayern fans saw far too often under Pep Guardiola, his system is prone to exposure from well-timed pressing and incisive long-balls. Fortunately, Bayern Munich happen to excel at each.
Next: Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness meets with Thomas Tuchel
The Bavarians definitely have what it takes to beat Manchester City. A tie between the two would probably be one of the most exciting and entertaining of the season. But in terms of level of difficulty, City are perhaps the team Bayern most want to avoid in tomorrow’s quarter-final draw.