Bayern Munich eye UCL round of 16 qualification against Benfica

Bayern Munich will be aiming to seal their place in the Champions League round of 16 when they host Benfica at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

Champions League soccer is back at the Allianz Arena after a brief break. Bayern Munich find themselves in a tricky situation, as results their recent Bundesliga results are going from bad to worse. The Bavarians would like to regain some sort of form when they host Benfica on Tuesday.

Bayern are currently sitting at the top of their UCL group. A win or draw on Tuesday will confirm their place in the next round. Nothing short of a convincing victory will work for Niko Kovac, though, who is under immense pressure in Munich.

On the other hand, this match is a must win game for Benfica. The Portuguese side will need to win both of their remaining group stage games to make it to the next round of the Champions League. Benfica have been doing fairly well in their domestic league and, given Bayern’s current form, will have no better opportunity to beat the reigning German champions than tomorrow.

Team News

Bayern Munich will likely be without Serge Gnabry against Benfica. The German forward missed the game against Fortuna Dusseldorf due to a small injury, and Kovac is pessimistic about his chances to feature tomorrow.

Kingsley Coman and Thiago Alcantara continue to make steady progress toward complete fitness. The duo will miss the game on Tuesday, but they have a decent chance of featuring this weekend. James Rodriguez has returned to Sabener Strasse to continue his recovery from a serious knee injury, while Corentin Tolisso remains the long-term absentee for the German giants.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac has struggled to tighten the team’s defense, as Bayern continue to leak goals in almost every game. Manuel Neuer will remain in goal, as Kovac doesn’t believe in rotating goalkeepers unless there is an injury problem. After a horrific defensive performance on Saturday, Jerome Boateng will surely drop to the bench. Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule will pair up in central defense. Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba will occupy the right-back and left-back positions respectively.

Kovac will have to stick with Javi Martinez in holding midfield due to Thiago’s injury. Martinez has been in poor form this season and has failed to shield the defense on numerous occasions. Renato Sanches is likely to get a start against his former team.

Thomas Muller will occupy his favorite position, just behind the striker. Bayern are clearly struggling with the wide positions right now with Coman, James and Gnabry all injured. Arjen Robben has regained complete fitness, so he will start on the right side of the attack. Franck Ribery will be deployed on the left. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the hosts on Tuesday.

"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaMartinez-SanchesRobben-Muller-RiberyLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

Benfica were pretty ordinary in the reverse fixture in Portugal. They are likely to be more aggressive with their passing and pressing as this is a must-win game for them. The Portuguese side will also be quite wary of Bayern’s struggles at the Allianz Arena. They will try to exploit the slow defense of their hosts by executing swift counter-attacks.

The visitors have a history of utilizing good, young talent. This Benfica squad is no different — there is plenty of young stars in their ranks capable of causing issues to the Bavarian back line. Joao Felix and Rafa Silva are two Benfica players to watch out for in this game. The experience of Haris Seferovic, Rodrigo and Pizzi can also be pivotal for Benfica in getting a good result in Munich.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 2-1 Benfica

Bayern Munich have massive problems in defense, and I don’t expect them to keep a clean sheet against Benfica. However, I think they will deliver a professional performance against the Portuguese side and confirm their berth in the round of 16.