Bayern Munich can bounce back with UCL match vs. AEK Athens

Bayern Munich have a chance to cement their place at the top of the Group  E when they host AEK Athens on Wednesday.

It was a difficult weekend for Bayern Munich, who once again dropped points at the Allianz Arena. The Bavarians conceded a late equalizer against Freiburg on Saturday, and they will be looking to rectify their home record when they face AEK Athens in Champions League play on Wednesday. The hosts need a confidence boosting win before the weekend’s big game against Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern are in a pretty strong position in their group. A win on Wednesday will pretty much guarantee them a place in the round of 16. They were held for a 1-1 draw against Ajax in their last UCL home game this season, so Niko Kovac will be hoping that his team take their chances and clinch a convincing victory ahead of Der Klassiker.

On the other hand, AEK Athens desperately need a positive result to keep their hopes of playing in the Europa League this season alive. The Greek club is effectively out of contention for a place in the next round of the Champions League. Athens has been struggling lately to get results in their favor, so a positive performance in Munich can help kick start their campaign.

Team News

Bayern Munich will be without Arjen Robben for the game against AEK Athens. The Dutchman misses out due to a minor knock. Niko Kovac also confirmed that James Rodriguez will have a late fitness test for this game. The Colombian missed the first team training on Monday due to an injury to his calf.

Kovac also gave an update on Kingsley Coman injuries situation in his pre-match press conference. The Frenchman is set to start running again tomorrow and will be training with the team soon. It was reported last month that Coman could be back for Bayern by the end of November, but that might be a bit early. Thiago Alcantara remains sidelinesd after suffering a serious injury against SV Rodinghausen last week. Corentin Tolisso is the only long-term absentee for Bayern, as he continues his rehabilitation after rupturing his ACL in September.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac will likely go with his best starting eleven for this game in order to strengthen their place at the top of the table. Manuel Neuer will keep his place in the starting lineup, while Mats Hummels is likely to make his return and partner Niklas Sule in central defense. Joshua Kimmich will return to right-back after a poor outing in midfield on Saturday. David Alaba will slot in at left-back.

After Kimmich’s failure to really impress against Freiburg, Kovac is likely to find a safer solution for defensive midfield. Javi Martinez is the most appropriate candidate for the holding midfield position right now, and he is likely to play there on Wednesday. Renato Sanches and Leon Goretzka will complete the midfield by slotting in the central midfield and attacking midfield positions, respectively.

Thomas Muller started on the bench against Freiburg, so he is likely to get a start against AEK Athens. The German will play on the right side of the attacking trio. Serge Gnabry grabbed his first competitive goal for Bayern on Saturday, and he is likely to be rewarded with another opportunity on the left flank. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the German giants on Wednesday.

"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaMartinez-SanchesMuller-Goretzka-GnabryLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

AEK Athens gave Bayern Munich a tough fight in the reverse fixture of this tie. The Greek club will be hoping to put up a similar fight on Wednesday. Bayern are not at their best form right now, so the visitors have a decent chance of getting a positive result. They will have to defend resolutely, though, and patiently wait for the opportunities against Bayern’s leaky defense.

Ezequiel Ponce is the most important attacking player for the visitors. The Argentine has scored five goals in 11 appearances for the Greek club. Anastasios Bakasetas and Mako Livaja are the other players from AEK Athens who can trouble Bayern. The Bavarians are the firm favorites for this game, but AEK Athens will not go down with a fight.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 3-0 AEK Athens

The Bavarians have been delivering professional performances in Champions League this season. They were held for 1-1 draw by Ajax in their last game at Allianz Arena, but I expect Niko Kovac’s men to bounce back after the weekend’s poor result against Freiburg in an emphatic manner.