3 things Chelsea need to do to beat Bayern Munich this midweek | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
The UEFA Champions League's current game-week is surely going to be a roller-coaster of fixtures, as reigning English champions Manchester City take on Spanish giants Real Madrid while Bayern Munich are set to visit Stamford Bridge to face a young but inspiring Chelsea side.
While the City-Madrid game will be a well-fought tie between two very experienced sides, the Chelsea-Bayern fixture will have all the eyes as it brings back memories of the 2012 edition of the European competition when the Blues beat the Bavarians in the latter's home ground, the Allianz Arena, to lift the coveted trophy.
The Bundesliga giants are without a permanent manager after Niko Kovac was sacked in November, whereas their London opponents have given the reigns to their former player Frank Lampard, with the Englishman trying to revolutionise the way the club operates right from youth promotions to their playing style.
In the battle of the Bridge tomorrow night, it will surely be a big tactical showdown between a side that has enjoyed great Champions League nights in London and young guns who are trying to prove their mettle by staying in Europe's biggest competition.
Let's take a look at the top three things that the Londoners need to do to beat Bayern tomorrow night.
Also Read: Chelsea v Bayern Munich prediction, preview, predicted XI and more
#3 Bring a fast-paced game to rattle Bayern's lack of tempo
Since the sacking of Kovac, Bayern has undergone a number of changes to their formation and tactics, but there is one thing which the German champions are still to figure out - their lack of tempo.
The Bavarians lack a bit of intensity in comparison to many of the other top sides in Europe, and this has been evident in their defeats to Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bayer Leverkusen this season, all of whom are quick, aggressive and dynamic in their styles of play.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have some fresh legs on the attacking front this season, all of whom are extremely fast-paced players, some notable mentions being Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham.
In addition, full-back Reece James is another quick player who could hurt Bayern in momentum, thanks to his speed and crossing abilities.
#2 Exploit Bayern's high defensive line
Bayern Munich have been heavily criticised for their unexpectedly high defensive line this season. Full-backs Benjamin Pavard and Alphonso Davies are extremely attack-minded wing-backs and usually operate high up the pitch, forcing centre-backs Jerome Boateng and David Alaba to also stay high up the field.
This has resulted in the Bavarian club maintaining a very bad clean sheet record this year compared to the past few seasons.
Chelsea have been great at exploiting the opposition defence throughout this season, with players like Willian and Mason Mount being in top form going into the fixture.
#1 Stop the final balls in the box to counter Bayern's clinical finishing
Bayern Munich have some of the best attacking footballers in their lineup - Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller being some of the main men.
This attacking setup is known for their clinical finishing in the entirety of Europe and this might be a big concern for Chelsea who have struggled defensively throughout the season. The only way for the Blues to stop the goals will be to cut the supply to the Bayern forwards in the final third.
Lewandowski is averaging a goal every 79 minutes and shooting almost five times per 90 which is an unrivalled rate across the continent, and he's also finding the target with roughly 50% of his attempts.
The Chelsea defence will have to operate with laser focus for the entire ninety minutes and extra time to stop the final balls into the box for the Bayern attackers to latch on.
Chelsea take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday and would be expecting to take some home goals to Bavaria as the German champions are rampant in the Allianz Arena. Nonetheless, an enticing tie is to be expected tomorrow night.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Bayern Munich will beat Chelsea in the Round of 16