In the most highly anticipated matchup of the Champions League Quarterfinals between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, the result favors the team with an overwhelmingly better performance.
Pre-match Situation
Manchester City and Bayern Munich are considered the favorites to win the Champions League at the end of the season. The draw of faith set up an early final-worthy matchup at the Quarterfinals stage.
Pep Guardiola will face his former team for the first time since 2016 after he left Bayern for the Premier League. His Manchester City is in fine form, winning the last eight fixtures in dominating fashion.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich is beginning a new chapter after a coaching change saga that saw Thomas Tuchel replacing Julian Nagelsmann. They were recently bounced out of the DFB Pokal or the German Cup. Their offense has struggled to score goals in recent games. And with leading striker Choupo-Moting unavailable, Thomas Tuchel faced an arduous task.
Match Summary
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City executed their possession play and high pressing right after the whistle. One of those plays almost rewarded them with the opening goal with Erling Haaland’s pressure. But the English Champion didn’t have to wait for long. Rodri whipped out a fantastic curler from outside the penalty area, defeating Yann Sommer and bringing City the lead.
After being down, Bayern approached the game with a much faster tempo. In the second half, a couple of Leroy Sane’s effort was swiftly denied by the talent of Ederson. While the German looked motivated to defeat his former club, some teammates didn’t have the same mentality. Dayot Upamecano scared the Bayern fans with his dangerous dribblings in the team’s half. And eventually, his carelessness came back to bite him with a loose ball that led to Bernardo Silva doubling the lead.
In the following minutes, the beast incarnated Erling Haaland capped off his fantastic performance by grabbing himself a goal to make it three. The Bayern defense that only conceded twice during the previous rounds was unrecognizable at the Etihad. And without the brilliant Yann Sommer, they could have conceded more than just three.
Erling Haaland also became the player with the most goals for a Premier League side in a season with 45 (and counting).
Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich Second Leg Outlook
With a three-goal advantage, Manchester City has set one foot into the final four of the Champions League. Bayern will have plenty of work to do before next week when the two teams meet again at the Allianz Arena. But the score is almost settled after this first leg.
Pep Guardiola outclassed Thomas Tuchel in this game, proving why he is a legendary coach. Bayern fans cannot fully blame Tuchel, though. He only had a few weeks to prepare for this matchup, but the continuous disappointing results in different campaigns are a no-go for such a big club.
Detailed Bayern Munich’s update to come soon.
For the latest sports news via Fantom Sports Industries. Follow us on Twitter via @Fantom_sports. Like us on Facebook via Fantom Sports Industries. Subscribe to our YouTube channel via Fantom Sports. Subscribe to our Newsletter! Shop Fantom Sports Industries Merch