Bayern Munich vs Chelsea 09/08/20

09 August 2020

Chelsea will have a mountain to climb at the Allianz Arena when they meet Bayern Munich in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16-tie this week. Indeed, a comprehensive 3-0 first-leg win in London puts Bayern in firm control going into the return leg.

It’s been one hell of a Champions League campaign for Bayern so far. Reigning Bundesliga champions finished the group stage as the only side to pick up maximum points, and their tally of 24 goals scored in Group B was just one short of PSG’s competition record. Impressively, six of their seven wins in the Champions League proper this term have yielded a full-time margin of at least two goals. Particularly dangerous after the break, Hansi Flick’s men have netted 74.07% (20) of the 27 Champions League goals this season in the second half of play. However, the ‘Bavarians’ have lost three of their last five matches in the competition’s knockout stage, including a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the round of 16 last season.

Meanwhile, despite losing just once in Group H (W3, D2), Chelsea secured a place in the knockout stage only thanks to a 2-1 home win over Lille on Matchday 6. Notably, the ‘Blues’ have won two of three Champions League trips this season (D1) to bring an unbeaten run in European away fixtures to ten (W7, D3). Against the backdrop of their blistering away form, the Premier League giants are winless in seven road games in the Champions League knockout rounds (D4, L3). It goes from bad to worse from Chelsea, considering they’ve failed to clinch a win in nine consecutive matches in the competition’s knockout stage (D4, L5). Yet, Frank Lampard can find some comfort in the fact his side have avoided defeat in four of their previous trips to Germany (W2, D2).