Champions League
2011-09-27 - Bayern Munich vs Manchester City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football : Champions League Match Day 2
Tuesday 27 September 2011 - Kickoff 7:45pm
This game is live on TV
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will have real ambitions of making it to the Champions League Final that will be held in their own stadium next May, but this is a real test for their team as they host Manchester City.
They have started strongly in the Bundesliga by winning 6 of their first 7 games and only losing 1 game. Bayern have conceded just 1 goal in their opening 7 games in the League and have a 3-0-1 record at the Allianz Arena, scoring 15 goals and conceding 1.
Bayern had an impressive 0-2 win at Villarreal on Match Day 1 to move into top spot of Group A. They have now won 9 games in a row in all competitions since losing their opening League game to Borussia Mochengladbach, and they have kept clean sheets in all of those wins. Bayern Munich have won 8 of their last 9 Champions League games at home, with only Inter Milan winning here in that time.
Arjen Robben returned to the side off the bench on Saturday, but I would be surprised if he is given more than a substitutes role again. Holger Badstuber is a doubt as he is suffering with an illness.
Manchester City
Manchester City will try and do what their rivals Manchester United have failed to do in 4 attempts and win at Bayern Munich as they look to get their Champions League campaign up and running. There is also a classy moment from the club as they will be sending officials to lay a wreath at the spot of the Munich Air Disaster that devastated United in 1958.
They have made a positive start to the Premier League this season having picked up 16 points from a possible 18 available and are only 2nd to United on goal difference. City are 2-1-0 away from home in the League, scoring 10 goals and conceding 5 as Roberto Mancini insists on playing attacking line ups.
City are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, not including the Community Shield, and have a quiet confidence that they can achieve a big result out in Germany. The team may only have lost 1 of their last 6 away games since the back end of last season, but they had failed to win any of their last 10 away games before that and lost their last European away game at Dynamo Kiev.
Owen Hargreaves is not in the squad as he was not registered by the club and Mario Balotelli is suspended. Adam Johnson is out with an ankle injury.
Head to Head
This will be the first time Bayern Munich and Manchester City have met in European competition.
Bayern Munich have only been beaten in 1 of their 15 home games against English opposition.
City have a 1-0-3 record in games played in Germany.
Prediction
I think this has all the makings of an entertaining game between two sides who enjoy the attacking elements of the game more than the defensive side of things, especially going on the way both have begun this season.
Bayern Munich have been solid at the back, and were very impressive winners in Villarreal, a notoriously tough venue to visit, in the opening round of fixtures. Their 9 consecutive clean sheets bodes well for the home team, but I would hazard a guess that Manchester City are the best attacking team they have faced in that time.
City themselves have looked a little suspect defensively in their opening 3 away games in the Premier League at Bolton, Tottenham and Fulham and you have to imagine they will be given problems by this Bayern Munich attacking abilities.
Therefore, goals look to be on the menu and I would not be surprised if either side could get a winner after both teams have troubled the scoreboard. The 'Over 2.5 Goals' looks priced up reasonably to me at a standout 1.92 and that is what I will be playing.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Bayern Munich 2-1 Manchester City
