Preview
Date & Time : 13. Mar 2019, 21:00 GMT
Referee: Daniele Orsato, Italy
Location: Munich, Germany
Venue: Allianz Arena Stadium
After a week of entertaining European football, VAR drama, and thrilling comebacks, its time for the second leg round of 16 matches of the Champions League that see Liverpool head to Munich to take on Bayern at the Allianz Arena. Kickoff is scheduled for 21:00 GMT and the match will be officiated by Italian referee Daniele Orsato who has an average of 0.22 Red Cards and 5.33 Yellow Cards. It is do or die tie for the Reds in the Champions League and their 2018/19 season in general. With the first leg ending in a 0–0, there is everything to play for here. A win or a draw of any type other than a 0-0 will see Jurgen Klopp's men through to the quarter finals. A 0-0 draw will send the match to added time and potentially penalties. The Reds have struggled away from home on continental duties this term losing all their group stages away games and will need to at their best form if they are to send Bayern packing.
Team News
Bayern Munich
Highly rated fullback Joshua Kimmich is suspended for this game having received a third yellow card in this season's tournament in the first leg. He joins Thomas Muller on the sidelines who is also serving a suspension after seeing a red card in the group tie game against Ajax. Veteran Brazilian Rafinha is likely to come in at right-back. Serge Gnabry may also switch flanks to create space for Franck Ribery to replace Muller from the lineup that thrashed Wolfsburg 6-0 win over the weekend. The French wideman came off the bench at the weekend to record three assists.
Arjen Robben could also make a come back from injury. However, with Kimmich's ban, there is pressing need to have David Alaba fit to play at left-back. This is a position that Rafinha having had to play as cover of late. However, if the Austrian Alaba fails to beat his race against the clock to be available for selection, then Jerome Boateng could be asked to fill an at right-back with the Brazilian Rafinha remaining on the left flank.
Liverpool
Liverpool's left back Andy Robertson heads into this clash being only a card away from missing a potential quarter-final first leg. Centre-back Virgil van Dijk is available to feature here having missed the first leg through suspension, to be honest, he was rarely missed in that game as Fabinho who replaced him never put a foot wrong all night. Both Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain are still sidelined. Dejan Lovren made the trip to Bavaria but is unlikely to thrown into the deep end of things having just returned from a hamstring injury. Joel Matip and van Dijk could partner at the heart of Liverpool's defence supported by fullbacks Alexander Arnold and Robertson.
Adam Lallana stake his claim to be handed a start here with a spirited weekend which saw him bag the game's Man of the Match (MoTM) award. He has a real chance here with Naby Keita remaining in Merseyside after suffering from a minor injury. However, it remains to be seen whether he will be given the nod to start as the most advanced of the midfield trio ahead of captain Jordan Henderson or vice-captain James Milner. Liverpool have often struggled whenever the duo of Henderson and Milner has played together though. Klopp has been known to prefer solidity and their work rate in such tight encounters.
Possible Line-ups:
Bayern: 4-2-3-1
Liverpool: 4-3-3
H2H and Team Form
Highlights from the 1st Leg:
Talking Points-Key Battles
Robert Lewandowski v Virgil van Dijk
James Rodriguez v Fabinho
Rafinha v Sadio Mane
Betting Picks
Both Teams to Score (BTTS) @1.666
A rational voice in my head tells me this will end 1-1. That would send Liverpool, who head into this tie as the underdogs, through on away goals. Given the Reds, struggles on the road in Europe this season and their new found resilience in defence as well, I don't see this being a high scoring affair. A goal is enough to win this game, and 2-0 to kill the game, I expect it to be that close. Thus, backing under 3.5 Goals at 1.50 makes sense. In the three times these sides have met recently, Liverpool are yet to lose the their German opposition. The Reds won 2 and drew once. Gives me another reason to be optimistic on this one.
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