Premier League giants Chelsea will be looking to secure progress into the next round of the UEFA Champions League when they welcome German champions Bayern Munich to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. The Blues’ form since the turn of the year has been questionable, but the recent victory against Tottenham could spur a positive response from some of the players. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, are still one of the two teams in Europe to be unbeaten in 2020.
Talking Tactics
Chelsea
A quick analysis of the Blues’ last two league fixtures will highlight that Frank Lampard is the kind of manager who isn’t afraid to take a risk and mix things up. The lineup he put out against Spurs caught the entire footballing universe by surprise, and it wouldn’t be overly shocking to see him rotate again for this fixture. Chelsea have boasted a highly adaptive style of football since the start of the campaign and will have to be at their absolute best to get the better of Munich.
Bayern Munich
The German champions have unquestionably been one of the most dominant teams in Europe over the last few years. They secured the Bundesliga title last term despite being pushed to the final day by a challenging Borussia Dortmund. Despite competition from clubs like RB Leipzig and the aforementioned Dortmund, the German champions have been in a class of their own. Free-flowing and wing-heavy, this new generation of Munich attackers have the potential to take this team to new and unprecedented heights.
Team News
Chelsea
Going into what is arguably the Blues’ most important fixture of the campaign so far, Frank Lampard’s biggest misses – Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante, are both sidelined with adductor injuries. Elsewhere, the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the middle of the park could spell good news, while Marco van Ginkel is still on the road to recovery, following a long-term ACL rupture.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Caballero; James, Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Kovacic; Hudson-Odoi, Barkley, Mount; Giroud
Bayern Munich
Hans Dieter-Flick has been hit with a flurry of injury problems over recent weeks, and this could have a significant effect on the manager’s team selection ahead of the visit to Stamford Bridge. Javi Martinez and Ivan Perisic have both been ruled out of contention for the trip, while Javi Martinez and Leon Goretzka could make it back in time. With a defensive crisis in progress at the Allianz Arena, the gaffer could be forced to make some changes to the side.
Predicted Bayern Munich XI: Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Martinez, Alaba; Kimmich, Thiago; Gnabry, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski
Key Men
Chelsea
One of the biggest surprises from the last week of English league action was the sudden return to form that was showcased by French international striker Olivier Giroud. The veteran forward had been frozen out by Lampard during the first half of the league campaign. Still, considering his performance against Tottenham, the former Arsenal man could be in line for a Champions League start.
Bayern Munich
Bayern are one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the whole of Europe since the start of 2020. While their defence needs to be commended for this achievement, there’s no denying that it wouldn’t have been possible without the centre-forward play of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish forward has the ability to singlehandedly rip teams apart, and this shaky Chelsea defence could be the exact kind of prey that he’s been waiting for.
