Lokomotiv Moscow host defending champions Bayern Munich at the RZD Arena on Tuesday as Matchday 2 of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League kicks off.
Lokomotiv sit second in Group A following a 2-2 draw with Red Bull Salzburg on Matchday 1, while Bayern are top after thrashing Atletico Madrid 4-0.
The Russian side come into Tuesday’s clash on a two-game winless run. After drawing with RB Salzburg, Lokomotiv lost to struggling Rotor in the Russian Premier League.
Despite recording a whopping 76% possession and racking up 20 shots, Lokomotiv handed Rotor their first win of the season on Saturday.
With a record of W6-D3-L3, Lokomotiv find themselves fourth in the table – six points behind frontrunners Spartak Moscow.
Lokomotiv are the joint-lowest scorers in the top half (13). However, they also boast the joint-best defensive record in the division (9).
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich scored over 3.5 goals for the third game in a row as they crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 at the weekend.
Bayern hammered Bundesliga newcomers Arminia 4-1 before seeing off Atletico last week. On Saturday, they enjoyed 61% possession and 20 shots as they humiliated Frankfurt.
Four wins and one defeat have seen Hansi Flick’s side claim 12 points from a possible 15 in the Bundesliga this season.
The reigning champions currently sit second in the German top-flight – one point behind early leaders RB Leipzig.
Remarkably, Bayern have scored 22 goals in five league games this season – an average of 4.4 goals per game!
Having said that, Flick’s men have conceded eight goals already this term. Leipzig have only let in three, while third-place Borussia Dortmund have conceded just two.
Head-to-head: Lokomotiv Moscow and Bayern Munich have never faced each other before, so there are no previous results to take into account for this game.
Team news: Boris Rotenberg, Dmitri Barinov and Mikhail Lysov remain long-term absentees for Lokomotiv. Vladislav Ignatjev may also miss Tuesday’s game through injury.
The big news for Bayern Munich is the injury sustained by Alphonso Davies at the weekend. The Canadian looks set for a lengthy lay-off, with Serge Gnabry also expected to miss out.
Lokomotiv are renowned for their defensive solidity, but it is no secret that Bayern have more than enough firepower to get the job done at the RZD Arena.
Forebet predicts that Bayern Munich will score over 2.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Tuesday.