Preview: FC Bayern vs. Manchester City

By: phil | December 6th, 2011

In Match 6 of Group A in the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League Group Stage. FC Bayern has already secured first place in the group and passage into the knock-out stage. Man City, meanwhile, needs a win and some help in order to progress. We’re finally getting a TV spot, too: the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel Plus – not regular FSC, so you need to have your cable or satellite provider’s biggest sports package. Most sports bars/pubs should be playing it, and if you’re in the DC area and want to meet up with me to watch, email me at bayern.offside@yahoo.com.

The Line-Up

One of the more interesting “The Line-Up” sections I’ve written in a while. On the one hand, you want to go into every match seeking a win, and generate positive momentum for the group stage and for domestic play. On the other hand, you hate to see someone get hurt in a match that you didn’t really need to win (we already have 1^st in the group, and you can’t get any higher than that). But back to the first hand, a win over City would knock them out of the Champions League regardless of the Villarreal – Napoli match; aside from the fun of knocking them out in their own stadium, I’d be uncomfortable facing them in a later round knowing we didn’t play at full strength when we had a chance to take them down.

City boss Roberto Mancini appears to be doing his best to get Bayern fired up, criticizing Chairman Rummy in a rambling press conference. If we were lacking for motivation, I guess we have it now.

Also, before we even get to the question of “field our best line-up or not,” we have to note that Kroos and Robben are apparently going to be left behind with illness. So Alaba would be playing even if we needed the points.

My guess is that we show a pretty strong line-up, but with maybe one or two regulars removed in favor of younger guys. Maybe Lahm off for Contento, or something of that nature. But I don’t think we’ll see wholesale changes with a bunch of the young guys thrown into the starting squad.

Needless to say, Jerome Boateng is up for it.

The Opponent

We all know ‘em and we all hate ‘em (at least I think we do). Despite their struggles in Champions League play, City is riding high in the … “Premier” League, with their most recent match a 5-1 beating of Norwich. Although, actually, they were leading only 1-0 at the half and didn’t really pull away until late in the contest. Also, all three of their non-currently-midbehaving strikers (Dzeko, Kün, and Balotelli) saw action, so maybe they’re be a little gassed. Also, Micah Richards is doubtful with a calf injury, and Kolarov is out with a groin problem. So Clichy will probably be starting, and hopefully our forwards can find some room. Milner and Joleon Lescott also did not play at all this past weekend, and Nigel de Jong only came on for 10 minutes, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see them in the starting line-up or as the first subs off the bench.

Final Notes

- Dortmund collapsed late today vs. Marseilles. Although I think they needed a huge win and some help to go through, they were winning until the last 10 minutes, when they leaked two goals to let Marseilles off the hook. Elsewhere, Chelsea won and will advance, Leverküsen were held to a draw but will advance anyway, and Apoel Nicosia wrapped up first place in their group. Second place finishers of the groups finished so far (other than Leverküsen) are Marseilles, Zenit St. Pete, and AC Milan.

- It’s predicted to be chilly with a pretty good chance of rain tomorrow in Manchester. But it’s always sort of like that, no?

- We’ll be back with a Match Day Thread tomorrow, although I won’t be around to tend it. Let me know via e-mail or twitter if you have an inside line on who the starting squad will be. Thanks for reading.