Overview
Bayern Munich's 1-1 draw with Celtic in the second leg of the play-off round will make their fans feel dissatisfied. However, the "Gray Tigers" still completed their goal of reaching the 1/8 round of this year's Champions League.
Coach Vincent Kompany's team also promptly regained the trust of fans with 2 consecutive victories against Frankfurt and Stuttgart, scoring 7 goals and conceding only 1.
With the above results, Bayern Munich is moving straight towards the Bundesliga championship. Now they will aim for a ticket to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. However, Bayer Leverkusen will not be an easy opponent, even though coach Xabi Alonso's team has just participated in the Champions League since this year's season.
Despite their experience in the Champions League, Leverkusen can still end the League Phase in the top 8, bringing home 16 points out of the maximum 24 points. They are also unbeaten in all competitions and also have 2nd place in the Bundesliga, only behind Bayern Munich.
However, it is worth noting that Leverkusen have lost their last two away matches in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich is an extremely brave team in the knockout matches. In history, they have only lost 1 of their last 11 home matches in the round of 16, scoring 41 goals. This is a huge obstacle for Leverkusen in their trip to the Allianz Arena.
In the most recent confrontation, the two teams drew, in which Bayern Munich set a sad record with only 2 shots in the whole match. However, that is a match at Bay Arena, and Bayern Munich will know how to gain an advantage at home.
Personnel situation
Bayern Munich are optimistic that Joshua Kimmich will be fit for this match after continuing light practice at the weekend. Eric Dier and Aleksandar Pavlovic are recovering from illness, while Jamal Musiala, Joao Palhinha and Alphonso Davies are expected to be present.
On the other side of the front line, Piero Hincapie returns after suspension, but Jeanuel Belocian is still sidelined due to a long-term injury. However, Florian Wirtz, Patrick Schick and Nathan Tella are all expected to keep their positions in the starting lineup.
Expected lineup:
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Laimer, Kim Min-jae, Upamecano, Davies, Palhinha, Goretzka, Olise, Musiala, Coman, Kane.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Mukiele, Tah, Hincapie, Frimpong, Aleix Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo, Tella, Schick, Wirtz.
The match between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen takes place at 3:00 am on March 6 (Vietnam time).
