Bayern Munich welcome Villarreal to the Allianz Arena in the quarter finals of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Germans host the Spaniards having lost the first leg 1-0 and now need to win to progress. It was the biggest shock of the first round of quarters and Bayern will be keen to put it right.
For Villarreal, they can come to Munich with something to defend. That might not necessarily be the best way to approach this game however. With the abundance of attacking talent at Bayern’s disposal, inviting them on is not recommended.
Having masterminded the first leg win, Unai Emery may well be looking for more of the same from his side. They accepted that Bayern would dominate the ball and contained themselves to set pieces and counter attacks.
After Arnaut Danjuma scored the opening goal after just eight minutes. The tactic from that point was clear – defend the lead. The Spaniards almost came here with a two goal advantage. Francis Coquelin’s strike was ruled out by VAR for offside.
That was definitely a bullet dodged for Bayern and they’ll fancy their chances of turning this deficit over. Their 1-0 Bundesliga win over Augsburg on Saturday was probably the best preparation for this tie.
In contrast, Villarreal had to come behind to get a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao over the weekend. That was a much changed side though, as Emery rested his big guns for this clash. We’ll see if that was a good decision soon enough.
Below, we’ll preview this Champions League fixture and provide our predictions, the team news, our recommended bets and more…
Bayern Munich vs Villarreal Predictions
In terms of how this game is going to pan out, we’re expecting an exact replica of the first leg. Bayern will again dominate the possession and Villarreal will look to counter or take advantage of set pieces.
The Bavarians have not failed to score at least one goal at home in any competition so far this season. That’s a statistic that will worry Villarreal fans, as one goal is unlikely to be enough to progress.
It would have really bothered Robert Lewandowski that he failed to score in the first leg. He’s still the competition’s leading goalscorer, but he’ll be desperate to add to his tally. Scoring the winning goal at the weekend will have given him a nice confidence booster.
Villarreal’s away form domestically has been pretty poor. For whatever reason, their away form in this competition has been much more positive. In any case, Emery has set them to progress in this tie.
However, despite winning the first leg, Villarreal are still the outsiders to progress to the semi finals. That’s indicative of the task at hand for the visitors here.
Bayern have only lost two home games in all competitions so far this season. The defeats have come so far apart that they can be considered freak results.
The first leg defeat was shocking enough for the Germans. The thinking is, with their home crowd behind them, Bayern will take the game to Villarreal.
We expected goals in the first leg and it didn’t pan out. The hosts need to score to progress, so expect the net to bulge on more occasions here.
Read on for our Bayern Munich vs Villarreal predictions and best bets.
Bayern Munich vs Villarreal Head to Head
These two clubs have met on three previous occasions so far. The most recent was the 1-0 win for Villarreal in the first leg of this tie. A repeat of that here seems unlikely.
Before that, the two clubs last clashed in the group stages of the 2011/12 Champions League campaign. Villarreal were the hosts in the first game that time, with Bayern winning 2-0. Goals from Toni Kroos and Rafinha secured the victory.
The reverse fixture back in Munich pretty much went as expected, too. Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez gave Bayern a first half 2-0 lead. Jonathan de Guzman pulled one back for the Spaniards, but Ribery struck again to seal the 3-1 win.
Villarreal may have won the first leg, but we’re expecting Bayern to replicate previous victories. Bayern are all about goals when they play at home, so expect an entertaining fixture.
Bayern Munich Team News – W L W W D
There’s no new injury news for Bayern heading into this. Bouna Sarr, Corentin Tolisso and Eric Choupo-Moting remain out. Manuel Neur will retain his place in goal for the home side.
Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez are the most likely centre back partnership. Benjamin Pavard is expected to start at right back, with Alphonso Davies at left back.
Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala will start the game at the centre of midfield for the hosts. Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry could be due to start on either attacking wing.
Thomas Muller will slot into the number ten role. Robert Lewandowski will lead the attacking line for the home side. The Polish striker has six goals in his last three home games for Bayern.
Villarreal Team News – D W L L W
After changes on the weekend, Unai Emery is likely to revert back to the same XI from last week. Our Bayern Munich vs Villarreal predictions expect Geronimo Rulli to come back into the side to start in goal.
Pau Torres and Raul Albiol are likely to pick up their partnership in the centre of defence. Juan Foyth can come back in at right back, with Pervis Estupinan at left back.
Etienne Capoue will hold the midfield for the visitors. He will be joined by Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin in the middle of the park. Those three will be pivotal in protecting the Villarreal defence.
Gio Lo Celso and Gerard Moreno can provide the attacking width. Last week’s goalscorer Arnaut Danjuma will lead the attacking line.
Bayern Munich vs Villarreal Betting Tips
Despite losing the first leg, the hosts are the massive favourites for this. The traders have the home side as the 1/4 favourites in our Bayern Munich vs Villarreal match bets.
At the price, the traders aren’t expecting this one to end in a draw. That result would see Villarreal progress. If you think that will happen, you can back the draw at 5/1.
It seems an away win is even less likely. Bayern are a different beast at home and will want to steamroller the visitors. Villarreal are a massive 10/1 to repeat their first leg heroics.
It’s hard to see anything other than a Bayern Munich win here. The odds aren’t tempting though, so we’ll browse the markets to find you some value.
