Bayern Munich must overturn a 3-0 deficit against Manchester City in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening.
Pep Guardiola’s men ran riot in the first leg a week ago, with goals from Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland putting the English side in full control of the tie.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of the ball at the Etihad Stadium, Bayern failed to find the back of the net, while Man City racked up 17 shots – nine of which hit the target.
Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw by Hoffenheim on Saturday, even though Thomas Tuchel’s men racked up 66% possession and 22 shots.
As a result, the Bavarians find themselves just two points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table.
It’s fair to say that Bayern have endured an inconsistent spell in recent weeks, recording two wins, one draw and three losses across their past six outings.
That said, the German giants have avoided defeat in each of their last nine home UCL games, keeping a clean sheet in their previous four.
Manchester City extended their winning streak in all competitions to 10 games with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City on Saturday, thanks largely to a Haaland brace.
Not only have City won each of their last 10 outings, but they have also won 12 of their previous 15, suffering a solitary defeat in the process.
In the Champions League, Guardiola’s side have avoided defeat in each of their last nine matches, scoring over 2.5 goals in five of those encounters.
Haaland has now scored 47 goals in 40 games this term, including 11 in seven Champions League appearances, so he will be confident of enhancing his tally on Wednesday.
Head-to-head: Manchester City have won three of their last four Champions League matches against Bayern Munich, scoring over 2.5 goals in each of those victories.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Cityzens have won four of their six UCL meetings with Bayern, with the Bavarians winning the other two.
Team news: Bayern are still without long-term absentees Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez, while Eric Choupo-Moting is a doubt for the second leg.
Man City have reported no fresh injury problems ahead of Wednesday’s clash, with Phil Foden the only first-team player unavailable for selection.
Guardiola’s men will be eager to seal the deal at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern will not go down without a fight, especially on home soil.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Bayern Munich and Manchester City will play out a high-scoring draw, with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.