Champions League quarterfinals are set to take place this midweek as eight of Europe’s best teams go head to head against each other in what will be a fascinating encounter. One of the fixtures being the mighty Bayern Munich’s face off against defending champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern have been in sumptuous form in 2017 and are on the back of an impressive 4:1 win over Borussia Dortmund. However, they will be missing few of their key players against Real.
Here is the predicted Bayern Munich lineup as they look to outclass the Spanish giants.
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer continues to spend time on the sidelines. The German International has missed the last two games and is once again expected to be out on the sidelines against Real. Second-choice keeper Sven Ulreich will look to capitalise on his good performance versus Dortmund to keep the opposition out.
Right Back: Philip Lahm’s leadership would be a huge factor behind Bayern’s resoluteness at the back and going forward as well. His experience will be useful for the home side as they look to keep out the dangerous looking Madrid attacking line.
Centre Back: Mats Hummels was ruled out for the clash due to a knock he suffered in the training. Jerome Boateng will be the replacement for the former Dortmund defender. Boateng played very well against Dortmund, and Bayern will be dependent on him for the buildup play and the long balls as well.
Centre Back: Javi Martinez was absolutely faultless in the weekend game versus the Black and Yellows. His proper positioning left no clue for the opposition attackers to breach the defensive lines of FC Bayern. He will no doubt play a crucial role in keeping out the threat of Karim Benzema and co.
Left Back: David Alaba will start as a left back for Die Roten. He showed his true class against Felix Passlack on Saturday, this time, however, he will have a much tougher job against Daniel Carvajal of Real Madrid.
Central Defensive Midfielder: There might be a few doubts over Xabi Alonso’s fitness and whether or not will he be able to start. However, we can expect the former Real midfielder to make it to the starting lineup, just because he is too important for the Bayern midfield.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Accompanying midfielder Arturo Vidal will be just as crucial in midfield. It will be interesting to see how he performs against the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos while each of them possesses a completely different playing style compared to the other.
Central Midfield: Thiago Alcantara will be tasked to provide all the good work in the creativity department. His positional sense and crisp passing might be a telling factor in the middle.
Right Wing: Arjen Robben simply stole the show in the weekend. His blazing runs and quick movements can outwit any defender including the likes of Sergio Ramos as well. He will be looking to put a stamp on his authority against his former club.
Left Wing: Franck Ribery was another player who just basically ripped Dortmund apart. The 34-year-old Frenchman is still going strong and has enough quality to pose a threat to the defending champions.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski did well to pip Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang and lead the top scorer’s chart in the Bundesliga. Now he will eye for the Champions League and it will all start against the mighty Real Madrid.
