By Lewis Thompson Twitter – @LewisThomps0n
Liverpool have returned home from their training camp in Marbella as they turn their focus to their round of 16 clash against German champions FC Bayern Munich on Tuesday night. Liverpool will be hoping to keep up their consistent run of form at Anfield in the Champions League after just managing to get out of their group earlier on this season.
Liverpool have only played Bayern competitively seven times in their history, with the year 2001 being the last time the two sides played in a competitive match. Liverpool won that game 3-2 in the UEFA Super Cup. Overall The Reds have won two, drawn four and lost one against Munich and the last time they actually lost a game was all the way back in the 1971 UEFA European Cup. As for Bayern Munich and their form in the Bundesliga, they have won four of their last five as their resurgence under Kovac continues.
Bayern currently sit in second place in the Bundesliga two points behind rivals Borussia Dortmund. Bayern Munich finished first in their Champions League group only conceding five times in their six group stage matches. Polish target man Robert Lewandowski could cause some problems for what is set to be a very weak Liverpool defence, as he is the current top goal scorer in the Champions League with eight goals.
Now onto some injury news. Midfield maestro Corentin Tolisso is injured for the game, Arjen Robben has had slight muscle problems but is set to be fit and French man Kingsley Coman has in the delight of Munich fans been given the all clear to play on Tuesday night. Frank Ribery missed the team’s flight to Liverpool to be at the birth of his child but is likely to still be involved on Tuesday. Jerome Boateng has been ruled out due to ‘stomach flu’. Lastly, attacker Thomas Muller is suspended for the game after his high foot challenge in their group stage game against Ajax.
Now onto my predicted line-up for the game. Niko Kovac is set to name a pretty standard side working around his injuries and suspensions. World cup winner Manuel Neuer will be in-between the sticks for Munich, behind a back four of Kimmich at right back, Sule and Hummels at centre back and Austrian David Alaba out at left back. Then I feel in front of the back four will be a three-man midfield consisting of Leon Goretzka, Thiago Alcantara and James Rodriguez. This then leaves a three-man attack of Gnabry out on the right wing, Coman on the left and danger man Lewandowski at striker.
With Van Dijk suspended, I feel we will have a lot of problems at the back, however, Bayern do have defensive issues themselves, showing that in the Bundesliga. I’m going to go with a 2-1 to Liverpool with Salah scoring both. Tell me what you think the score will be, COME ON YOU F*CKING REDS!!
By Lewis Thompson
Twitter @LewisThomps0n
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