Both Bayern Munich and Benfica will be looking to bounce back from disappointing Champions League defeats as they face off at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening.
Bayern were hammered 4-1 by Barcelona in their last European outing, while Benfica suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Feyenoord.
Bayern’s manager, Vincent Kompany, is still reeling from his side’s recent loss to Barcelona, where former Bayern coach Hansi Flick saw his new team get revenge for their 8-2 demolition in the 2019-20 Champions League.
Raphinha stole the spotlight with a brilliant hat-trick, and despite Bayern briefly leveling through a Harry Kane penalty, the floodgates opened, with Robert Lewandowski also getting on the scoresheet against his former club.
That heavy loss followed a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, leaving Bayern with back-to-back European losses. However, Bayern's domestic form has been much better, with a 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb now feeling like a distant memory.
Since the Barcelona loss, Bayern have been perfect in the Bundesliga, winning three straight matches scoring 12 goals and conceding none including a 3-0 victory over Union Berlin on Saturday, which has them three points clear at the top of the league.
Benfica, like Bayern, have also rebounded well after a European setback. Bruno Lage’s side suffered a surprising 3-1 loss to Feyenoord at home, with Ayase Ueda and Antoni Milambo putting the Dutch side in control before Kerem Akturkoglu pulled one back for Benfica. Milambo’s second goal in injury time sealed the win for Feyenoord, ending Benfica’s perfect start to the Champions League.
Before that loss, Benfica had defeated both Red Star Belgrade and Atletico Madrid, the latter in a stunning 4-0 win. Despite the Feyenoord setback, Benfica have been in solid form domestically, winning three straight matches including a 5-0 demolition of Rio Ave, a 3-0 win over Santa Clara in the Taca da Liga, and a 2-1 win against Farense on Saturday. They remain eight points behind Primeira Liga leaders Sporting Lisbon, with a game in hand.
However, Benfica have a poor record in Germany, having never won any of their 13 previous Champions League or European Cup matches on German soil. In fact, they’ve faced Bayern 10 times, losing seven of those encounters and only managing three draws, most recently suffering a humiliating 9-2 aggregate defeat in the 2021-22 group stage.
While Benfica will hope to keep their good domestic form going, their European record against Bayern doesn’t inspire much confidence.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Bayern Munich are currently managing a few injuries, with Josip Stanisic (knee), Aleksandar Pavlovic (collarbone), and Hiroki Ito (foot) all sidelined for Wednesday’s match.
However, right-back Sacha Boey is back in training following a knee injury and could be available soon. Up front, Harry Kane continues to be in sensational form. After scoring twice and adding an assist in Bayern’s 3-0 win over Union Berlin, the England captain has now directly contributed to an incredible 25 goals in just 14 appearances this season 17 goals and 5 assists in all competitions.
Kane has netted five of those goals in Bayern’s three Champions League games so far, making him the top scorer in the competition. He is expected to lead the line in an unchanged Bayern lineup on Wednesday.
For Benfica, coach Bruno Lage will be missing a few key players. Gianluca Prestianni (ankle), Leandro Barreiro (thigh), and Tiago Gouveia (shoulder) are all unavailable, while right-back Alexander Bah, who was substituted at halftime in Benfica’s 2-1 win over Farense, will also miss out.
In his pre-match press conference, Lage mentioned three potential replacements for Bah, including Issa Kabore, who is on loan from Manchester City. However, Tomas Araujo could also shift across to fill in at right-back, with the highly sought-after Antonio Silva returning to partner Nicolas Otamendi in central defense.
On a positive note for Benfica, Kerem Akturkoglu’s goal against Feyenoord in their last Champions League match means the Turkish winger has now scored in each of his first three UCL appearances for the club.
He is just one game away from matching a record set by former Porto star Ze Carlos, who scored in each of his first four European Cup matches for a Portuguese club back in the 1992-93 season.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Guerreiro, Kim, Upamecano, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Trubin; Araujo, Otamendi, Silva, Carreras; Kokcu, Florentino, Aursnes; Di Maria, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu
EXPERT PREDICTION
Bayern Munich 4-1 Benfica
Benfica have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five Champions League meetings with Bayern Munich, and given Bayern's current attacking form since their heavy loss to Barcelona, that trend is likely to continue.
At the Allianz Arena, Bayern’s firepower should prove too much for Benfica, who are unlikely to leave unscathed defensively. While Kompany's side may still have some defensive vulnerabilities, their attacking strength should make the difference against Bruno Lage’s team.
