Bayern Munich hosts Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie today in what many consider the match-up of the tournament so far this season.
Bayern Munich vs. Juventus, 2013 UEFA Champions League: The Bayern perspective
Despite having advanced to the quarterfinals in the Champions League and being on the verge of wrapping up the Bundesliga title this weekend, there are still concerns surrounding this side.
Dennis Grombkowski
The kind and knowledgeable people at our Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works have a full preview of the match, from the German side’s perspective. In addition to all the usual team news and information you’d expect, they address the concerns over Bayern’s concentration lapses that were evident in the second leg against Arsenal in the last round and against Hamburg over the weekend.
Also of particular concern for the Bavarians is avoiding the lapses in concentration that so nearly cost them appearing in this round in the first place during the second leg against Arsenal. This is a phenomenon that has gone on for a time under Heynckes, and in a more pronounced fashion at home in the Allianz Arena. Even in the 9-2 victory on Saturday, Dante was caught ball-watching on a corner that allowed HSV to score. Minutes later, nobody was guarding the post and Hamburg scored a second, also from a corner.
There’s little doubt that Bayern are the favorites in this tie, though it should be close. While Arsenal were unable to fully take advantage of Bayern’s less than stellar performance in the Round of 16, a team like Juventus should be capable of making Bayern pay if they aren’t on the game for both legs.
More mistakes today will only go to create more doubts about whether or not this year’s Bayern side can replicate their league success on a continental scale.
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