The key battles and narratives ahead of Bayern Munich's showdown with Benfica
By Tom Vinall
João Palhinha vs Orkun Kökçü
You feel like these are the games in particular that Bayern brought João Palhinha in for. Another Turkish international, Orkun Kökçü, is a key man for Benfica in midfield. He strings the game together, and is tasked with creating chances. The 24-year old has three assists in 665 league minutes so far this season.
So, Palhinha will be the one to try and limit the danger he is able to pose, particularly in the final third. The Bayern midfielder was born in Lisbon, and came through the academy of arch rivals Sporting, so will be wanting to put in a top display here.
Jamal Musiala vs Florentino Luis
At the base of midfield, Florentino Luis has a good reputation in the game, and has been mentioned as a target for sides in the top five leagues. As good of a player as he is, he is quite slow and immobile. This could be a target for Bayern, and for Jamal Musiala in particular.
We all know that Musiala is an incredible dribbler, particularly in tight spaces, and Luis may not be able to handle that. The 21-year old has actually dropped a bit deeper in build up this season, particularly drifting into deeper left half spaces, but even that could help drag the likes of Luis out of position, and open the game up for Bayern.