UCL 2022-23: Bayern Munich vs Manchester City: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

The Cityzens have a three-goal advantage heading into the second leg of the quarter-final

Returning to his former stomping ground without a shred of sentiment, Pep Guardiola leads his Manchester City team out for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, The Premier League champions board their flight to Germany with a 3-0 advantage under their belts from last week's first leg, where Thomas Tuchel's Bavarian baptism of fire continued.

Letting a slender lead slip to draw 1-1 with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, where Andrej Kramaric cancelled out a Benjamin Pavard effort, Bayern hold just a two-point lead over Tuchel's former club Borussia Dortmund atop the standings, and the Star of the South could very well end a season of transition with just the DFL-Supercup to their name.

So far, the board's brash decision to part ways with Julian Nagelsmann has not been vindicated, as Tuchel has won just two of his first five games at the helm, and Bayern have just one clean sheet to show from their last seven matches - not a reassuring statistic before facing Haaland and co, and neither is a two-game winless run at the Allianz Arena.

The dying embers of that 3-1 win were far from comfortable for Man City, but thanks to Arsenal letting successive 2-0 leads slip, the champions are right back in the thick of things in the Premier League, sitting four points off the Gunners with a game in hand. Guardiola's sky-blue juggernaut is in full swing, with Man City travelling to the Allianz Arena on the back of their 10th successive win across all competitions - going unbeaten in their last 14 and they have netted at least three goals in each of their last six fixtures.

Kick-Off:

Thursday, 20-04-2023, 12:30 AM(IST)

Wednesday, 19-04-2023, 7:00 PM(GMT)

Manchester City Form(All Competitions): W-W-W-W-W-W

Bayern Munich Form(All Competitions): L-W-L-W-L-D

Player to Watch

Manchester City: Erling Haland

Simply put, Haaland is a top-class goalscorer. His game is predominantly based on two of his best attributes, movement and finishing, which help him score so often. With regard to his off-ball work, he is one of the best in the world in and outside the box. There are a couple of keys to his success in this department: his intelligence in the sense that he rarely makes the wrong run and his incredible speed and intensity to make those runs.

Haaland’s intelligence links with his positioning as the striker knows the optimum position to occupy. His trademark position is parking himself between two opposition defenders and being on their shoulders. Currently, he is in the red-hot form it would need something special for the current German champions to stop him.

Bayern Munich: Jamal Musiala

Musiala is an extremely versatile midfielder who has already proven himself in both wide and central positions. Favouring his right foot, he frequently scans to build his awareness of his surroundings. His passing ability has contributed to his featuring as both a number 10 and as one of two defensive midfielders.

But it is in the latter role where his passing range has greater potential when he links defence to the rotating attackers in front of him via his variety of passing techniques. His performance will be the key factor in the second leg.

Match Facts

After the first leg, Man City lead the overall head-to-head record between the two teams with four wins to Bayern's three. However, Bayern has won six of their last seven home matches against English teams, the exception being a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in March 2019.

Bayern has won all four of their Champions League games in front of their own fans this season, without conceding a single goal. Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, the Reds have won 16 out of 18 home matches in Europe's premier club competition eight of them by a scoreline that would at least be enough for extra time on Wednesday

Team and Injury News

Following a disagreement on the Etihad pitch, attacking duo Mane and Sane were involved in an astonishing dressing room bust-up - where the former purportedly left his teammate with a swollen lip from a punch and he was dropped from the squad to face Hoffenheim at the weekend.

However, Tuchel has confirmed that the Senegal international will return to the squad for the second leg, which is more than can be said for long-term absentees Manuel Neuer (leg) and Lucas Hernandez (ACL), while youngsters Paul Wanner (jaw) and Gabriel Marusic (ACL) are out of contention too. On a more positive note, striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting - an unlikely success story with 17 goals this season - is back in training following a knee injury, but it remains to be seen if he will be given the green light to start the second leg.

Guardiola only has one absent player to work around in the shape of Phil Foden, who continues to recover from appendix surgery but is on course to return before the end of the month. Having seen his players put Leicester to the sword before the half-time whistle blew, Guardiola once again denied Haaland a hat-trick by bringing him off at half-time.

While Stones, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne were also brought off early doors in anticipation for the second leg. With 11 continental goals to his name so far, one more strike for Haaland on Wednesday would draw him level with Ruud van Nistelrooy for the most Champions League goals in a single campaign by a Premier League player.

Head-to-Head Stats

Matches: 7

Manchester City: 4

Bayern Munich: 3

Draws: 0

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):

Ederson; Akanji, Rúben Dias, Aké, Stones; Rodri, De Bruyne, Gündoğan; Bernardo Silva, Grealish; Haaland

Bayern Munich Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Choupo-Moting

Match Prediction for Bayern Munich vs Manchester City

The rival territory was not kind to Man City during the group stages, and Bayern's affinity for goals at the Allianz Arena should at least lead to a flicker of hope for Tuchel's side, which may quickly be extinguished. The Champions League-winning nous in Bayern's ranks counted for nought at the Etihad, and it should be a similar story against Man City's well-rested and goal-happy crop, as they stroll into the final four with a comprehensive beating of the Bavarians.

Prediction: Man City 2-1 Bayern Munich

Telecast

India – Sony Sports Network, Jio TV, Sony LIV

UK – BT Sport, BT Sports App

US – CBS Sports Network, CBS, Univision, FuboTV, Paramount+

Nigeria – SuperSport