Why Bayern Munich will beat Atalanta in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie
Bayern Munich face Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, starting with Tuesday’s first leg in Italy. With an exhilarating attack at their disposal and a strong record against Serie A clubs, Vincent Kompany’s men should have every confidence of reaching the quarter-finals…
The Bavarian juggernaut has continued to build up steam in recent weeks. After a two-game winless stumble in the Bundesliga, Bayern have won each of their last five across all competitions to not only open up an 11-point gap at the top of the table, but also progress to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup.
That run has hardly been simple, either. While Werder Bremen are struggling at the wrong end of the table and were expected casualties, Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim – who sit second and third respectively in the league table – were outdone by Kompany and Co., with the latter suffering a 5-1 defeat. In the cup, meanwhile, Bayern defeated RB Leipzig, two-time winners of the competition in the last five years.
Watch: Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich - highlights
As such, Bayern’s record across all competitions this season stands at 33 wins, three draws and two defeats. In the Champions League, they were beaten only once in the league phase, by eventual table-toppers Arsenal.
This term, the record Bundesliga champions have proven close to unstoppable, claiming victories over title holders Paris Saint-Germain and FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea. A team currently sitting seventh in Serie A and 22 points adrift of the summit will not have Germany’s finest quaking in their boots.
It is not just the results themselves that have been impressive, though – it is also the manner in which Bayern have put their opponents to the sword. The 88 league goals they have plundered are 13 more at this point of a campaign than any other side in Bundesliga history, and they find themselves as many goals away from the all-time single-season record of 101 with 10 games still remaining.
Bayern were equally ruthless in the league phase if the Champions League, with Arsenal (23) the only side to register more than their 22 strikes. The Munich club can wreak havoc from all over the pitch, but it is their forward line that will no doubt give Atalanta nightmares.
Harry Kane, of course, is the headline act, having amassed a barely-believable 45 goals in all competitions already - at least seven more than any other player in Europe’s top 15 leagues. The Englishman, though, has a fantastic supporting cast in Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, who have 13 and 19 strikes respectively.
Meanwhile, Lennart Karl and Serge Gnabry have popped up with important goals, and with Jamal Musiala now once again available and building up to full fitness, Bayern have even more strings to their offensive bow.
Watch: Bayern honour Kane for 500 career goals
They will also look to their recent European record for further inspiration. The six-time continental champions have lost just three of their past 16 games in the Champions League, winning 12, while their defeat to Inter in the first leg of last year’s quarter-final was their only one in the last 35 games at Allianz Arena in Europe’s premier club competition.
Furthermore, Bayern have progressed from each of the last six round of 16 ties they have been involved in, being knocked out in only one of their previous 14 such two-legged affairs.
Most sides have negative records against Bayern, and Italian outfits are no exceptions. Serie A clubs have got the better of the Bavarians just twice in the past 18 outings, with Bayern prevailing on 11 occasions.
Ultimately, Bayern are purring right now, and a third treble this century remains a very realistic possibility. They have earned a reputation for being ruthless this season and have the utmost belief in their ability to get the job done with minimum fuss. Atalanta, beware.
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