Defending champions Bayern Munich will host a resurgent Manchester United at the Allianz Arena in Munich for the second leg of their quarter-final encounter in the UEFA Champions League late on Wednesday evening.
Last week’s first leg match at Old Trafford ended in a 1-1 draw. The home side opened the scoring in the 58th minute through veteran defender and captain Nemanja Vidic.
However, their joy was short-lived as midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger equalized for the visitors in the 67th minute to gain the crucial away goal for his side. Schweinsteiger was later sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a challenge on Wayne Rooney in the match and will take no part in tomorrow’s encounter.
The home side have already been crowned the Bundesliga champions due to their insurmountable lead over second placed Borussia Dortmund. Manager Pep Guardiola can therefore concentrate all his energies in retaining the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal crowns. In the Bundesliga, Munich suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at the hands of Augsburg over the weekend which ended their 53 match unbeaten run in the domestic league.
The Red Devils’ manager David Moyes needs to rally his men before the march on Munich and his team would be rejuvenated after a resounding 4-0 away victory at Newcastle United with a brace by midfielder Juan Mata and a goal each from Javier Hernandez and Adnan Januzaj. However Mata is ineligible to play in the Champions League for Manchester United as he had earlier performed for Chelsea in the competition.
Despite getting some decent results in the Premier League in the recent weeks, winning the Champions League remains the best chance the Manchester outfit have, to play in the competition next year, as they still languish at the seventh position in the Premier League table.
United will welcome back in the squad Patrice Evra after he served his one-match suspension in last weekend’s match. Moyes will be without the services of strikers Robin van Persie who is out with a knee injury and Wayne Rooney who is struggling with a toe problem.
Despite United’s desperate tries to salvage something from this season, the odds are firmly in the favour of the home side to advance to the last four of the Champions League.
