Bayern Munich: Three things to watch out against Inter Milan
After enjoying solid starts in Bundesliga and DFB Pokal, Bayern Munich will begin the new Champions League season with a trip to Italy on Wednesday. Die Roten is set to face Inter Milan in the first game of group C, which also involves FC Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen.
Since it is a group of death, Bayern must start the European campaign on a strong note. Julian Nagelsmann will be looking for a response from his team after dropping points against Borussia Monchengladbach and Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. Ahead of a crackerjack of a game in Milan, we pick three things to watch out for in Die Roten’s first Champions League game of the season.
Will Bayern be more efficient in the final third?
The last two league games have been frustrating for Bayern. Borussia Monchengladbach and Union Berlin have managed to score against Die Roten, and most importantly, kept them quiet in the final third to take a point. Along with the defensive resilience shown by both Bundesliga clubs, Die Roten’s inefficient finishing has also contributed to these results.
Bayern had 26 shots against Union Berlin last weekend, but only six were on target. Meanwhile, the game against Monchengladbach witnessed 33 shots with 20 on target. Yann Sommer deserves a lot of credit for making incredible saves for Gladbach, but there was an element of poor finishing from Rekordmeister in this game. Die Roten managed to score only one goal in both games. They lacked efficiency with shots in the final third in both games. Inter Milan will not concede many chances on Wednesday, so it will be intriguing to see if Bayern shows much better efficiency in the final third. (Stats courtesy: Fotmob)
Jamal Musiala delivering on the big stage in Champions League
Along with Sadio Mane, Jamal Musiala has been the standout player for Bayern this season. The youngster has scored four goals in four appearances across all competitions. The youngster also has an assist to his name in the Bundesliga.
Musiala is currently averaging 3.5 shots per game in the Bundesliga. He is playing much higher up the pitch, making decisive actions in the final third. His close control and quick dribbling in tight spaces make him one of the most potent forward in Europe. Will the young German forward continues his terrific start to the season by delivering a solid performance on the biggest stage in club football? (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Next. UCL Preview- Inter vs Bayern Munich. dark
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
How Bayern’s defense handles Inter’s attack?
Bayern has delivered a scintillating performance in the attack this season, but they have been far from flawless at the back. The defending Bundesliga champions have conceded some poor goals this season. They looked vulnerable on the break in the last couple of league games.
Dayot Upamecano has struggled in the past few games, so Nagelsmann is expected to go with the defensive pairing of Matthijs de Ligt and Lucas Hernandez. Inter plays with two strikers upfront. With Romelu Lukaku ruled out from this game due to injury, Inzaghi is likely to field Lautaro Martinez and Joaquin Correa as the strike partnership. It will be a big test for Die Roten’s defense in Milan since Martinez and Correa have performed well this season. Returning to Munich with a clean sheet on Wednesday can become a turning point for Die Roten’s defense.