2023-04-19 00:41:52
Thanks to the 3-0 victory at their stadium against Bayern in the first leg of the quarterfinals and the great moment of form that has allowed them to almost hunt down Arsenal in their fight for the leadership of the Premier, Manchester City arrives launched towards their third consecutive Champions League semifinal. The stellar quarterfinal tie was unbalanced at the Etihad Stadium after 90 minutes in favor of Pep Guardiola’s team, which glimpses that the long-awaited title may finally come this season, after such a multimillion-dollar investment, losing to Chelsea in the 2021 final and being frustrated in 2022 by Madrid’s incredible comeback in the semifinals.
With City confirmed this year as the great favorite for the maximum European title, while the rival is going through a phase of instability and is very touched by the defeat suffered in Manchester, the Catalan coach also returns to familiar ground, since he led Bayern for three years , and says he knows very well “the mentality and quality that” the Bavarians have. However, the solidity and talent of City is now much higher, and also the goal, represented especially by Erling Haaland. The lethal Norwegian striker has already scored 11 goals in seven games in this Champions League and was the author of the goal that closed the scoring in the first leg after those of Rodri Hernández and Bernardo Silva.
“When you are there (in Munich) you realize how good Bayern is as a team,” warns Guardiola, who does not deny that the Etihad and City had to face “a close match for 60 minutes” and that “in many moments the Bayern was better.” Even the recently landed coach of the German team, Thomas Tuchel, despite the 3-0 blow, went so far as to state that he “fell in love” with the way his team played on the City field. “It was a lot of fun,” Tuchel launched regarding the first round of this duel between the 2020 European champion and the 2021 runner-up.
The Germans, no definition
However, what Bayern would really need to get into the tie and make City nervous is an early goal, when what they have been missing since Lewandowski’s departure is finishing. As if that were not enough, one of his leading figures and scorers, Sadio Mané, has been removed by the club for punching his teammate Leroy Sané after the clash against City.
Only Choupo-Moting, who is a doubt due to knee problems, has more than three goals in this edition of the Champions League (four goals), one more than Sané and Mané, when Bayern went blank at the Etihad, after from a 0-1 in Paris and a 2-0 at the Allianz Arena against PSG in the round of 16. To surprise their fans and push City to the limit, the Germans will have to impose a high pace from the start and have forcefulness in both areas, precisely what Guardiola’s team is demonstrating, which has now added ten consecutive victories and is caressing again the last fateful crossing. And on this occasion, if it confirms the forecasts, with the semifinal return at home.
Probable lineups:
Bayern Munich: Sommer, Pavard, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Coman, Musiala, Sané and Müller.
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Rúben Dias, Aké, Stones, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gündogan, Grealish and Haaland.
Referee: Clément Turpin (Frencia).
Stadium and schedule: Allianz Arena. 9:00 p.m. (Movistar Champions League).
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