Two reasons why Bayern Munich should follow Liverpool's approach against Manchester City in the UEFA CL quarterfinal
Manchester City thrashed Bayern Munich 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal last Tuesday. With that facile win, Manchester City took a giant step towards securing a place in the last four.
Pep Guardiola’s side will be determined to secure the Champions League title this season, which has eluded them so far. It is now up to Bayern Munich to ensure that City’s job is not easy in the return leg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, April 19.
The Bavarians, who have been one of the most consistent teams in Europe’s premier club competition over the last five years, have a terrific record at their home ground. Still, it is going to be extremely difficult to overturn a 0-3 deficit against a team of City’s caliber.
If they can pull it off, it will be one of the most significant achievements of Thomas Tuchel’s managerial career, alongside winning the Champions League with Chelsea.
Here's a look at two reasons why Bayern Munich should follow Liverpool's approach in their match against Manchester City:
#1. Bayern should employ the high press like Liverpool to trouble Manchester City:
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have troubled Manchester City the most over the last five seasons as the two English giants have frequently competed for the Premier League title. Hence, it might not hurt Bayern Munich to follow their approach. City are likely to start with John Stones and Nathan Ake as their full-backs, which means that their entire backline will consist of centre-backs.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has resumed training and should be able to start on Wednesday. The onus will be on him along with the likes of Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry to press high like Liverpool.
Individual battles between Bayern's wingers and City's full-backs will also be crucial. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Luis Diaz have troubled City in the past and Bayern Munich should take a leaf out of their books.
Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman, who are likely to start as the wingers for Bayern, will have an important role to play both in and out of possession.
#2. Bayern Munich's full-backs should overlap frequently:
It will be up to Thomas Tuchel to decide whether to start with Joao Cancelo or Benjamin Pavard in the right-back position. Alphonso Davies is likely to start in the left-back slot. Bayern's full-backs will have to overlap frequently to ensure that their wingers aren't isolated. The threat of Manchester City breaking quickly on the counter will always be there, but Bayern Munich have nothing to lose and must go all-out in attack.
In addition to the above, Joshua Kimmich’s crossing abilities might also come in handy. Kimmich will have to keep delivering crosses into the opposition penalty box and should try to shift towards the right half-space before delivering the ball. This is again something that Jordan Henderson has done frequently for Liverpool. Kimmich has played as a right-back previously, so it shouldn't be a problem for him.
Choupo-Moting and Thomas Muller will have to ensure that they are on the receiving end of these crosses. Needless to say, Bayern cannot afford to give City enough time to organize their defense and will have to execute their moves quickly.