The biggest week of the season for Bayern Munich is here. The Bavarian club needs a near-perfect performance on Tuesday against Villarreal to book a place in the semi-final of the Champions League. As things stand, Villarreal is ahead on aggregate after their convincing 1-0 win in Spain a week ago.
Die Roten struggled against the Spanish side last Wednesday when it came to maintaining composure in crunch moments of the game. Things could have been worse as Villarreal had some big chances to tighten the grip on the tie and have a healthy cushion in aggregate score before travelling to Munich.
Rekordmeister will have to be much better in the second leg to break down the resilient defense of Villarreal. They struggled to move the ball quickly in the first leg, while the decision-making in the final third was also poor. Along with showing intent going forward, Bayern needs a perfect game defensively as Villarreal is potent on the counter-attacks.
Nagelsmann will have a very good squad available for the game against Villarreal. The German coach will have to find the right balance to make sure that they are resolute at both ends of the pitch. Let us look at the starting XI that we think Nagelsmann may select in tomorrow’s big European game.
Nagelsmann sticks with the same defense
Manuel Neuer will be looking to deliver a convincing display at Allianz Arena on Tuesday after a below-average showing in Spain. The German shot-stopper was not at fault for Villarreal’s goal, but he did commit a few errors in the build-up play. Neuer will be looking to bounce back on Tuesday with a commanding display.
Niklas Sule will miss the game against Villarreal due to illness. In the absence of Sule, Lucas Hernandez and Dayot Upamecano will form the partnership in the heart of the defense. The French duo had started in Spain since Sule was not fit to play the entire 90 minutes.
Both center-backs will have to do much better than last week and cope with Villarreal’s impressive forward line. Apart from a colossal defensive performance, the French duo should move the ball quicker to pile pressure on Villarreal’s midfield and defense.
In the right-back position, Benjamin Pavard will get the nod on Tuesday. The French defender has been doing well lately, but he will have to be much more positive in the final third. Alphonso Davies looked good in the cameo against Augsburg on Saturday. The Canadian will be looking to build on that performance when he starts against Villarreal. Davies will have to be at his best if Bayern wants to book a place in the semi-final of the Champions League.
Straightforward decisions for Nagelsmann in midfield and attack
Nagelsmann is likely to go with experience in the midfield pivot on Tuesday. By getting crucial playing time in the last three games, Leon Goretzka is now fit to start two consecutive games. After coming off early against Augsburg, it is looking likely that Goretzka will get the nod over Jamal Musiala to operate in the number eight role against Villarreal.
Goretzka will partner Joshua Kimmich in the center of the park. After an uncharacteristic display against Villarreal, Kimmich got back his mojo against Augsburg on Saturday. He ran the game in central midfield and heavily contributed at both ends of the pitch. The German international will be looking to maintain this momentum on Tuesday.
Nagelsmann acknowledged Leroy Sane’s poor run of form on Saturday. The German winger is without a goal/assist in the last five games across all competitions. He is likely to start on the bench against Villarreal, paving the way for Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman to play in the wide positions.
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Thomas Muller had a quiet evening in Spain, but he still remembers the focal point of the attack. Nagelsmann will stick with him on Tuesday as Muller has the ability to come up with goals in crunch games. After drawing blank against Freiburg and Villarreal, Lewandowski got back in scoring touch by calmly dispatching a vital penalty against Augsburg on Saturday. The Polish striker will be looking to make up for last week’s poor performance with a home goal against Villarreal on Tuesday.
"Neuer Pavard-Upamecano-Hernandez-Davies Kimmich-Goretzka Gnabry-Muller-Coman Lewandowski"