Some 141 days after a bitter end to their Champions League campaign, Bayern will have a fresh start at home against Manchester City. This will be the fifth time Bayern face City in the Champions League. Back in the group stages of 2011-12, Bayern beat Manchester City 2-0 in Munich before losing 2-0 in Manchester. In the group stages of 2013-14, Bayern won 3-1 in Manchester before blowing a two goal lead to lose 3-2 in Munich. With the record between the two teams tied at 2-0-2, Wednesday’s match will offer a chance to break the tie.
Bayern head into Wednesday’s game with a list of injuries that seemingly won’t stop growing. Rafinha, Thiago, Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and the recently injured Holger Badstuber will all definitely miss the game, while Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Mehdi Benatia are all returning from injuries and are unlikely to start. The addition of Robert Lewandowski, Sebastian Rode, Juan Bernat, Xabi Alonso and Gianluca Gaudino to the first team means that the team is yet to find a suitable balance; the unremarkable performances so far this season have been the biggest indicator of that.
Guardiola will likely continue using the 3-4-3 on Wednesday, most likely with Neuer in goal, a backline of Boateng, Dante and Alaba (Benatia is not yet deemed fit to start), Bernat and Lahm on the flanks, Alonso and Rode in the middle and Gotze, Muller and Lewandowski up front. With the team not even close to top form, a moment of magic from any of the above players will help the team go a long way against the English champions. Should Alaba play as a center back, Manchester City will greatly benefit from his erratic form in that position as well as his absence on the left side. Bernat is yet to show what he’s capable of, but Wednesday’s game will give him the best possible platform to do that, especially with the reliable Zabaleta’s absence on Manchester City’s right side.
In his appearances so far, Sebastian Rode managed to add much energy and directness in the side, something that could be of great use against Manchester City. Should Demichelis start, speedier players like Muller and Lewandowski will have an advantage when it comes to through balls. After silently drifting in behind him to score the World Cup winning goal, Gotze will also relish the prospect of lining up against the former Bayern player. It’s too early in the season to pinpoint exact and glaring weaknesses in either side, a situation that makes the game a little bit more interesting. The English champions’ form in the league has been average so far, with two wins, one draw and one loss, but that’s not a big enough sample size to draw definite conclusions.
Last season, Bayern won in Manchester through a combination of individual brilliance (Ribery) and quick transitions that caught the defense flat-footed (Muller, Robben). Maybe Pellegrini has eradicated such weaknesses in his side, but it’s definitely worth trying for Bayern. The main reason for Bayern’s loss to City last December, in my opinion, was a combination of complacency and laziness. I highly doubt such factors will come into play during the first game of a Champions League campaign, however. One worrying thing I have noticed in the few games Bayern played this season is the lack of a strong midfield presence. The way the team applies the 3-4-3 allows for extensive player distribution, but that in turn diminishes the chances of the midfield “sweeping up” balls lost in the attacking third. In the last few games, I’ve noticed that the team takes longer to regroup after wasting an attack, which allows the opponent to regroup in defense and/or start a dangerous counter attack. With speedy players like Navas and physical players like Fernandinho and Toure, City can take advantage of this situation. I feel that the stage is set for Alonso to shine on Wednesday; his experience and intelligence will be key in thwarting the energy of City’s midfield. Whoever lines up alongside Alonso (probably Rode) will also have his hands full in this aspect.
Few teams can match a fully fit and well-oiled Bayern, but we won’t be seeing such a Bayern for a long time. Until then, it is up to the coach and players to give it all and make results go their way. With the right approach and enough determination, there is no reason why that shouldn’t happen on Wednesday. It will take a lot of effort, but it can be a great start in a Champions League campaign meant to silence many doubters and right many wrongs.
