Everyone was surprised when the chaotic, fun match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal last week turned into a beat down by Barcelona seemingly at the drop of a hat. Following that 3-0 loss, Bayern have a massive mountain to climb, but after getting a whole week for Pep Guardiola to work on a game plan and the home crowd behind them, they're going to give Barcelona quite a battle to reach the final.
Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona, Champions League 2015: Start time, TV schedule and team news
Barcelona punched Bayern Munich in the teeth three times late in the first leg. Do the Germans have what they need to overturn their advantage?
With so much on the line, Bayern will be throwing absolutely everything they have at Barcelona to close the three-goal gap, but the Spanish side won’t be sitting on their laurels. With their all-star attacking trio and the freedom that lead gives them, Barcelona could really cut loose and try to humble Bayern -- attempting to get a full measure of revenge for the 7-0 aggregate thrashing they took the last time they faced the Germans in the Champions League semis.
Only one thing is really a certainty in this match: it’s going to be a wild ride.
Key player -- Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
This is kind of a “well, duh” kind of choice, but let’s face it: if Messi plays well, Barcelona are almost a lock to win this match and earn a place in the final. Jerome Boateng certainly isn’t looking forward to this match if Messi is on his game again.
Key Matchup -- Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich) vs. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
No matter where Müller's starting position is on the pitch, he'll be spending a lot of time drifting centrally to support Robert Lewandowski up top. When he does, it'll be up to Busquets to slow him down or force him away from the ball and into less advantageous positions for Bayern. It worked well last week, and if Müller can't figure out how to beat Busquets this time around, it'll put a serious damper on Bayern's chances to overturn Barcelona's lead.
Bayern Munich injuries and suspensions
Out: David Alaba (knee), Franck Ribery (ankle), Arjen Robben (calf), Holger Badstuber (thigh) In doubt: Sebastian Rode (hamstring), Tom Starke (ankle)
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: None In doubt: None
Barcelona are in perfect health, with no real injury concerns anywhere in the squad. Bayern, on the other hand, are fairly battered, with four key players out. Their attacking depth is good enough to deal with losing Robben and Ribery, but having Alaba and Badstuber in the squad would be awfully helpful right now.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sport 1/HD (Germany), TVE La 1, TV3 (Spain), ITV 1 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go Deutschland (Germany)
See More:
