Bayern Munich has had an interesting season, both good and bad, but they managed to progress to the round of 16 in the Champions League. They’ll kick off their two-legged tie on the road at Besiktas, which is a very tough place to play for any team. This match will take place on February 20th.
What To Know About Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich finished second to Paris Saint-Germain in Group B with five wins and a loss for 13 points, scoring 13 goals and allowing six. Robert Lewandowski and Corentin Tolisso led the way with three goals each, while Joshua Kimmich scored two goals for Bayern, who fired Carlo Ancelotti following a 3-0 group-stage loss at PSG and replaced him with Jupp Heynckes. Bayern has been quite good since then as they have lost just once since that change, and they still have a ton of talent. Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world, Arjen Robben is still devastating on his best day and James Rodriguez has been excellent recently. The big question comes at the back, where goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is still out with a broken foot and won’t be back until the beginning of March at the earliest. Sven Ulreich has been solid in his absence and Bayern has a slew of defenders that can help him, but Neuer is arguably the best keeper in the world. How long can Bayern survive without him? Also, Mats Hummels has been battling injuries all season and the defense is better with him in the lineup.
What To Know About Besiktas
Besiktas topped Group G with four wins and two draws for 14 points, scoring 11 goals and allowing five. Anderson Talisca scored four goals to lead Besiktas, and he was followed by Ryan Babel with two goals. Besiktas are an experience team with a number of 30-plus players leading the way, such as defenders Dusko Tosic and Pepe, and midfielders Atiba Hutchinson. However, Talisca, who is on loan from Benfica, has been great for the Turkish team and at 23, this could be his chance for a move to a bigger club if Besiktas can’t afford him. Also, Babel has been surprisingly good in two seasons for Besiktas. He was written off after underachieving at Liverpool and he has bounced around from team to team since leaving them in 2011. However, Babel seems to have found a home at Besiktas and for 32 years old, he still has some pace.
Outlook
Bayern are massive away favorites at -600 for this match, while Besiktas comes in at +1100 and a draw at +700. The two have met twice before as Bayern won both group-stage matches in the Champions League in 1997. They need to be at their best when they visit Besiktas, which is a notoriously tough place to play as their fans are boisterous and they’ll know their team needs a little extra. Bayern are still the better team and should score an away goal, but Besiktas are going to keep it close going back to Germany.
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