Champions League
This is the granddaddy of them all. The best and most competitive club competition in the world. It’s the measuring stick that every top European team judge themselves on, and Bayern is no different. Last season was incredibly disappointing for Bayern in this competition, as they were knocked out by eventual winners Liverpool with an aggregate score of 3-1. The hardest part was that Bayern showed no ambition in the home leg. Liverpool had to do the bare minimum to earn the victory at Allianz Arena. But this is a new season with a new head coach.
Enter this season’s Round-of-16 opponent, Chelsea. Currently, they sit 4th in the League table and are under new management this season. After having a transfer ban in the summer and selling their best player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, people expected Chelsea to have a tough season. That hasn’t turned out to be the case with the team. They have been delivering inspiring performances, which have mostly come courtesy of young players. They have a ton of talent on their roster and will be a formidable foe in this round.
Bayern, though also has a ton of talent on their roster, and if players can return from injury and get in form in time, they have a very good shot at advancing to the next round of the Champions League. Revenge is an incredible motivator, and the whole team will want to avenge last year’s exit. The veteran players will want to avenge the defeat they suffered in the 2012 Champions League final. This will hopefully give Die Roten an advantage in this round and propel them onto the quarter-finals.