This game would seem a formality with Bayern Munich leading 5-0 from the first leg. However, it’s not over till the fat lady sings, and without wanting to cast aspersions on the Bavarian women folk, Bayern still have 90 minutes to play.
Mission Accomplished
Barring a total and utter catastrophe at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, Bayern Munich will book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and reach what manager Uli Hoeness called their “minimum expectation”.
The 5-0 demolition in the first-leg was a Franck Ribery-inspired affair but with the mercurial Frenchman missing from the return leg (as well as a few more key names), it will be interesting to see how the Bavarians fare.
Bayern obviously turned it on in Portugal, as they did at the start of February against Stuttgart, and as they did at the weekend when beating Hannover 5-0. That however hasn’t been the consistent story in 2009 thus far as three league defeats prove, and as their 4-2 DFB Pokal exit at Bayer Leverkusen showed last week.
"It looks a formality on paper, but it’s not," trainer Juergen Klinsmann told the club’s official website.
We can take nothing for granted. We need to take it seriously and mustn’t be careless. That’s something we can’t afford.
"It’s the kind of match where we can have a look at one or two players, and that’s what we’ll do, although we won’t overdo the rotation. I want to maintain the flow."
Mission Impossible
Sporting Clube de Portugal, aka Sporting Lisbon to many, are going to have to stage the comeback of all comebacks to have the slightest chance of taking their place in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League.
They are going to have to better the best comeback in Champions League history to turn the tie on its head. Deportivo La Coruna, came back from losing 4-1 to Milan in the 2003/04 quarter-finals first leg to win the return 4-0. The Spanish side, however, had home advantage for the second leg.
While a home loss to Bayern Munich was not a complete shock to the viewing public, the nature and scale of the loss two weeks ago at the Jose Alvalade did raise more than a few eyebrows on the Iberian Peninsula.
After withstanding an early spell of Sporting pressure Bayern turned on the style in Lisbon. Franck Ribery broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time and, after Miroslav Klose had scored a second, the Frenchman made it 3-0 three minutes past the hour from the penalty spot following Fabio Rochemback's foul on Philipp Lahm.
Luca Toni's late double completed the biggest ever away win in the Champions League knockout round and the joint highest away victory in the competition's history.
That result aside though, Sporting have been in good form domestically and warmed up for their trip to the Allianz Arena with a 2-0 win over 12th-placed Paços Ferreira on Saturday evening courtesy of goals from Liedson (8) and Derlei (34). Sporting remain in touch at the top of the Portuguese top flight, four points off leaders Porto.
They probably won’t turn the result around but will want at least to restore a little pride.
FORM GUIDE
Bayern Munich
07/03/09 Bayern Munich 5-1 Hannover (Bundesliga)
04/03/09 Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
01/03/09 Werder Bremen 0-0 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
25/02/09 Sporting CP 0-5 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
21/02/09 Bayern Munich 1 Koeln 2 (Bundesliga)
Sporting CP
07/03/09 Sporting CP 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Portuguese League)
28/02/09 FC Porto 0-0 Sporting CP (Portuguese League)
25/02/09 Sporting CP 0-5 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
21/02/09 Sporting CP 3-2 Benfica (Portuguese League)
14/02/09 Belenenses 1-2 Sporting CP (Portuguese League)
TEAM NEWS
Bayern Munich
Juergen Klinsmann has a whole host of players missing for the second leg so it is just as well that the Bavarians built up such a commanding lead from the first game in Portugal.
Luca Toni and Franck Ribery are both out with Achilles and shin injuries, respectively, while Tim Borowski is also going to have to sit this one out with a hamstring injury. Hamit Altintop was also a victim of the weekend win over Hannover as he tore a calf muscle, but Daniel van Buyten could be fit to play some part.
There may be a rare opportunity for the likes of Hans-Jorg Butt, Breno, Andreas Ottl and Jose Ernesto Sosa to see some action with Klinsmann admitting that there will be some rotation.
Possible Starting XI: Butt, Oddo, Breno, Lucio, Lahm, van Bommel, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Sosa, Klose, Podolski
Sporting CP
Rui Patricio is set to play in goal after recovering from an injury to his left hand. Midfielder Simon Vukcevic has recovered from a bout of flu, but Sporting are going to have to do without Fabio Rochemback, who has a shoulder injury.
Leandro Grimi, Leandro Romagnoli and Helder Postiga won’t feature with injuries, although Adrien Silva and will be fit in time. Defender Miguel Veloso remains a long-term absentee with a thigh injury.
Probable Starting XI: Rui Patricio, Pedro Silva, Daniel Carrico, Anderson Polga, Caneira, Adrien Silva, Izmaylov, Vukcevic, Joao Moutinho, Derlei, Liedson
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bayern Munich - Miroslav Klose
While the cat's away the Miroslav Klose will profit. That seems to be the case in the absence of Luca Toni from the Bayern ranks, anyway. Italian hit man Toni seems to hog the headlines when he plays and scores, but Klose has shone of late with goals and assists and will look to enjoy himself again on Tuesday with his strike partner sitting this one out.
Sporting CP - Joao Moutinho
Moutinho is the key midfielder for Sporting, although he failed to have much of an impact on the first-leg. That won’t stop various European scouts watching his performance at the Allianz Arena before no doubt making another move to sign the Portuguese starlet in the summer.
PREDICTION
The win over Hannover at the weekend needs to be the start of a winning run from Bayern and I feel that Sporting could be on the end of another beating on Tuesday (albeit a little less severe). Bayern are going to book their place in the quarter-finals, while Sporting will have to concentrate on finishing high enough in the Portuguese league to qualify for next season’s competition.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Sporting CP
Preview: Bayern Munich - Sporting CP
This game would seem a formality with Bayern Munich leading 5-0 from the first leg. However, it’s not over till the fat lady sings, and without wanting to cast aspersions on the Bavarian women folk, Bayern still have 90 minutes to play.
Mission Accomplished
Barring a total and utter catastrophe at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, Bayern Munich will book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and reach what manager Uli Hoeness called their “minimum expectation”.
The 5-0 demolition in the first-leg was a Franck Ribery-inspired affair but with the mercurial Frenchman missing from the return leg (as well as a few more key names), it will be interesting to see how the Bavarians fare.
Bayern obviously turned it on in Portugal, as they did at the start of February against Stuttgart, and as they did at the weekend when beating Hannover 5-0. That however hasn’t been the consistent story in 2009 thus far as three league defeats prove, and as their 4-2 DFB Pokal exit at Bayer Leverkusen showed last week.
"It looks a formality on paper, but it’s not," trainer Juergen Klinsmann told the club’s official website.
We can take nothing for granted. We need to take it seriously and mustn’t be careless. That’s something we can’t afford.
"It’s the kind of match where we can have a look at one or two players, and that’s what we’ll do, although we won’t overdo the rotation. I want to maintain the flow."
Mission Impossible
Sporting Clube de Portugal, aka Sporting Lisbon to many, are going to have to stage the comeback of all comebacks to have the slightest chance of taking their place in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League.
They are going to have to better the best comeback in Champions League history to turn the tie on its head. Deportivo La Coruna, came back from losing 4-1 to Milan in the 2003/04 quarter-finals first leg to win the return 4-0. The Spanish side, however, had home advantage for the second leg.
While a home loss to Bayern Munich was not a complete shock to the viewing public, the nature and scale of the loss two weeks ago at the Jose Alvalade did raise more than a few eyebrows on the Iberian Peninsula.
After withstanding an early spell of Sporting pressure Bayern turned on the style in Lisbon. Franck Ribery broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time and, after Miroslav Klose had scored a second, the Frenchman made it 3-0 three minutes past the hour from the penalty spot following Fabio Rochemback's foul on Philipp Lahm.
Luca Toni's late double completed the biggest ever away win in the Champions League knockout round and the joint highest away victory in the competition's history.
That result aside though, Sporting have been in good form domestically and warmed up for their trip to the Allianz Arena with a 2-0 win over 12th-placed Paços Ferreira on Saturday evening courtesy of goals from Liedson (8) and Derlei (34). Sporting remain in touch at the top of the Portuguese top flight, four points off leaders Porto.
They probably won’t turn the result around but will want at least to restore a little pride.
FORM GUIDE
Bayern Munich
07/03/09 Bayern Munich 5-1 Hannover (Bundesliga)
04/03/09 Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
01/03/09 Werder Bremen 0-0 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
25/02/09 Sporting CP 0-5 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
21/02/09 Bayern Munich 1 Koeln 2 (Bundesliga)
Sporting CP
07/03/09 Sporting CP 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Portuguese League)
28/02/09 FC Porto 0-0 Sporting CP (Portuguese League)
25/02/09 Sporting CP 0-5 Bayern Munich (Champions League)
21/02/09 Sporting CP 3-2 Benfica (Portuguese League)
14/02/09 Belenenses 1-2 Sporting CP (Portuguese League)
TEAM NEWS
Bayern Munich
Juergen Klinsmann has a whole host of players missing for the second leg so it is just as well that the Bavarians built up such a commanding lead from the first game in Portugal.
Luca Toni and Franck Ribery are both out with Achilles and shin injuries, respectively, while Tim Borowski is also going to have to sit this one out with a hamstring injury. Hamit Altintop was also a victim of the weekend win over Hannover as he tore a calf muscle, but Daniel van Buyten could be fit to play some part.
There may be a rare opportunity for the likes of Hans-Jorg Butt, Breno, Andreas Ottl and Jose Ernesto Sosa to see some action with Klinsmann admitting that there will be some rotation.
Possible Starting XI: Butt, Oddo, Breno, Lucio, Lahm, van Bommel, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Sosa, Klose, Podolski
Sporting CP
Rui Patricio is set to play in goal after recovering from an injury to his left hand. Midfielder Simon Vukcevic has recovered from a bout of flu, but Sporting are going to have to do without Fabio Rochemback, who has a shoulder injury.
Leandro Grimi, Leandro Romagnoli and Helder Postiga won’t feature with injuries, although Adrien Silva and will be fit in time. Defender Miguel Veloso remains a long-term absentee with a thigh injury.
Probable Starting XI: Rui Patricio, Pedro Silva, Daniel Carrico, Anderson Polga, Caneira, Adrien Silva, Izmaylov, Vukcevic, Joao Moutinho, Derlei, Liedson
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bayern Munich - Miroslav Klose
While the cat's away the Miroslav Klose will profit. That seems to be the case in the absence of Luca Toni from the Bayern ranks, anyway. Italian hit man Toni seems to hog the headlines when he plays and scores, but Klose has shone of late with goals and assists and will look to enjoy himself again on Tuesday with his strike partner sitting this one out.
Sporting CP - Joao Moutinho
Moutinho is the key midfielder for Sporting, although he failed to have much of an impact on the first-leg. That won’t stop various European scouts watching his performance at the Allianz Arena before no doubt making another move to sign the Portuguese starlet in the summer.
PREDICTION
The win over Hannover at the weekend needs to be the start of a winning run from Bayern and I feel that Sporting could be on the end of another beating on Tuesday (albeit a little less severe). Bayern are going to book their place in the quarter-finals, while Sporting will have to concentrate on finishing high enough in the Portuguese league to qualify for next season’s competition.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Sporting CP
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