Bayern Munich vs AEK Athens 08/11/18

08 November 2018

Bayern Munich will host AEK Athens at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League Group E, looking to cement their place in the round of 16.

The first leg between the two sides has ended 2-0 in favor of the reigning Bundesliga champions, which was Bayern’s second victory in the group stage following a 2-0 road triumph over Benfica. However, the Bavarians are yet to win at home in the Champions League, having been held to a 1-1 draw to Ajax, which was also the only time they’ve conceded a goal. The Reds have managed to overcome a minor crisis after the international break, recording four consecutive successes across all competitions. But, Niko Kovac’s side collapsed against Freiburg at home last weekend, having played out a disappointing 1-1 draw. Moreover, it was the fourth time in the previous five meetings Bayern conceded a goal, which started to frustrate the Croatian chief of staff.

On the other hand, with a record of three losses, the Yellow-Blacks are nailed to the bottom of the table, as they have virtually no chance of advancing to the knockout stage. Apart from a failure against Bayern a fortnight ago, Hartinos Aetós have lost 3-2 to Benfica at home and 3-0 to Ajax on the road. Even in the Super League Greece, AEK trail PAOK by six points. However, Marinos Ouzounidis’ players have kept a clean sheet four times in the past five meetings across all competitions, including last weekend when they face Panathinaikos at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. Meanwhile, the Greek outfit notched a brace in four out of the previous six games, failing to find the back of the net twice in the process.

Provisional line-up – Bayern Munich:

Gk: Neuer Defense: Boateng – Hummels – Sule – Alaba – Kimmich Midfield: Javi Martinez – James Rodriguez Attack: Robben – Ribery – Lewandowski

Provisional line-up – AEK Athens:

Gk: Barkas Defense: Oikonomou – Cosic – Bakakis – Hult Midfield: Mantalos – Simoes – Galanopoulos Attack: Ponce – Boye – Livaja