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Liverpool face Bayern Munich in a UEFA Champions League match tomorrow night in Liverpool. The hosts have qualified from a tough group comprising of the likes of Napoli and PSG. Liverpool also lead the Premier League table at the moment.
On the other hand, Bayern have seen a turnaround in their fortunes in the last few months, and now trail league leaders Borussia Dortmund by just two points in Bundesliga. Bayern topped their group in the Champions League to qualify along with Ajax Amsterdam.
The visitors would like to score at least one goal tomorrow, as an away goal could prove to be vital in determining the fate of the tie.
Both these two have won the UEFA Champions League five times, and are among the elite clubs of the world. Liverpool’s German coach Juergen Klopp would have a chance of locking horns against the biggest club of his homeland. On the other hand, Bayern’s manager Niko Kovac would try to enhance his reputation by beating a mighty side like Liverpool.
Here, we take a look at the 3 factors which might prove to be crucial in tomorrow’s match:
1. Bayern would try to exploit Liverpool’s depleted central defence
Liverpool are going to miss several key players in tomorrow’s match. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will not be available, and Dejan Lovren is already sidelined with injury. Therefore, Liverpool would have to field a makeshift centre-back pairing of Fabinho and Joel Matip.
Bayern would try to exploit this obvious weakness, and score a goal or two to create pressure on Liverpool for the return leg in Munich. Robert Lewandowski has scored 25 goals for Bayern this season, and would definitely try to use his aerial prowess against the makeshift centre-back pairing.
The younger players like Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka would also play a very crucial role for Bayern, as the onus would be on them to exploit the space behind the Liverpool full-backs. Gnabry is especially good at cutting into the penalty box from the flanks, and should remain a concern for Liverpool with his ball-skills.
James Rodriguez would also be pivotal in Bayern’s attack, as he would try to attack through the centre and also create shooting space around the edge of the penalty box.
2. Liverpool’s midfield combination
Liverpool have fielded various combinations of players in their midfield this season so far. It would be really interesting to see which combination they are going to opt for in tomorrow’s match.
Giorgino Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Nabi Keita are expected to play for Liverpool in the midfield. A creative player like Adam Lallana is likely to be replaced by the more defensive-minded Henderson to give protection to the weakened defence.
However, Henderson has a tendency to stay in the middle third. He would have to fall back to the defensive third more frequently in order to give cover to the centre-backs.
Wijnaldum is likely to play box-to-box and Keita might move to the flanks at times to provide width to Liverpool’s attacks. However, they would still lack a good passer and dribbler in the midfield, and Lallana or Xherdan Shaqiri might come in as a substitute later in the match.
3. Liverpool’s vaunted front three would remain a worry for Bayern
Mohamed Salah continues to impress for Liverpool, as he has already notched up 20 goals and 7 assists this season. He would remain a constant threat to Bayern through the right flank, forcing David Alaba to curb his attacking instincts somewhat. He also switches to the central areas at times, and would test the Bayern centre-backs too.
Roberto Firmino has developed a habit of falling back to the midfield and help in link-up play, while Sadio Mane prefers to roam freely inside the final third. Bayern’s centre-backs Niklas Sule and Mats Hummels have a tendency to play a high line at times, and should remain alert against the darting runs of Salah and Mane while doing so.
Javi Martinez would play a key role tomorrow in Bayern’s midfield, and his battle with Wijnaldum is likely to be pivotal in tomorrow’s match. Martinez is a strong tackler and strong in the air too, and would be key for Bayern in the set-pieces. However, he would have to act as a cover to the defence quite frequently in order to stop Liverpool’s front three.
