With a spot in the knockouts already secure, Bayern Munich have a chance to sneak into the top eight of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday when the league phase comes to a close.
Bayern enter Matchday 8 in 15th place but are just one point shy of a spot in the top eight and so direct passageway to the round of 16 is a real possibility for Vincent Kompany’s side. That’s especially true since their final game of the league phase will be against Slovan Bratislava, who sit in 35th place and have already been eliminated after conceding 24 goals in seven games.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
Bayern Munich Champions League scenarios and permutations: Live stream, where to watch, start time, TV channel
Chuck Booth
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 29 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Allianz Arena — Munich, Germany
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Bayern Munich -4000; Draw +1700; Slovan Bratislava +4000
Storylines
It would be hard to describe this as a bad season for Bayern, since they boast a six-point lead atop the Bundesliga table and are already through to the next round of the Champions League. Things are not exactly perfect, though – they have six wins in their last seven, but that one loss was a glaring 3-0 loss at Feyenoord on Matchday 7. Coupled with their losses to Aston Villa and Barcelona earlier this season in the Champions League, it raises some questions about Bayern’s ability to challenge Europe’s top teams this season.
Like their lopsided 4-1 loss to Barcelona in the fall, Bayern had plenty of possession but were unable to generate a ton of quality chances. That was especially glaring against Feyenoord last week when Bayern took 30 shots but put just six on target and failed to score. It left them especially vulnerable on a day when Feyenoord outperformed their output, scoring on each of their three shots on target and doing better than their 1.72 expected goals. Though that is something to keep an eye on for the rest of the season, these inconsistencies may not apply against Slovan considering Bayern’s status as the overwhelming favorites on Wednesday.
Projected lineup
Neuer, Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Olise, Musiala, Coman, Kane
Prediction
Bayern’s focus will rightly be on the race for the top eight on Wednesday, so expect them to rack up goals as they aim for direct passageway to the round of 16. Harry Kane is still in great form with 23 goals in 25 games this season, so expect him to play a big role on a day where Bayern need the goals. Pick: Bayern Munich 4, Slovan Bratislava 0
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