Bayern Munich, the biggest German club, are irritated by the suggestion that Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich are outsiders in their Champions League last 16 match.
On Wednesday, Bayern will play Xabi Alonso’s defending German champions in Munich, with Leverkusen hosting the match-up on Tuesday.
Bayern are almost always the favorites when facing off against other German teams, regardless of location or competition, because of their resources and unparalleled history.
However, Leverkusen has been predicted to advance to the quarter finals by pundits and bookmakers, which has piqued the Bavarians’ disapproval, especially since Munich will host the final this year.
Bayern have only once failed to reach the last 16 after appearing in back-to-back finals in 2012 and 2013 despite losing to Liverpool, who would have been the eventual champions, in 13 seasons.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a powerbroker for Bayern and the owner of the club that helped transform the club into a European powerhouse, said his team felt let down and would act.
Bayer Leverkusen has been hailed as the favorite by everyone. My team is well-known, and it irritates them.
Read more about PSG’s impressive prospects ahead of the Liverpool showdown.
Absolute underdogs
Xabi Alonso has never lost in six games against Bayern, with three draws and three victories since taking over as Leverkusen manager in October 2022.
Alonso never lost against Leverkusen in six games that he had a remarkable record both as a player and a coach in the competition.
With a 1-0 victory in Munich in December, defending German Cup winners Leverkusen took Bayern out of the competition.
Manuel Neuer, the Bayern captain and goalkeeper, received the first red card of his distinguished career after a rash, rugby-style challenge on Jeremie Frimpong outside the box during that match.
Leverkusen may have gotten under Bayern’s skin after the collision, which left Neuer with a broken rib.
Bayern were completely outplayed in the most recent game, which was in Leverkusen in February, and they failed to score a shot on target for the second time in a league game since 1992.
However, the game ended in a scoreless draw, keeping Bayern’s eight-point lead at the top of the table and on course to reclaim the title, which suggests that Vincent Kompany, the normally dominant Bayern, can be pragmatic when necessary.
Thomas Mueller, a two-time champion of the Champions League, suggested that Leverkusen’s supporters were not seeing the full picture when he tipped his team to leave the competition.
According to Mueller, “Leverkusen are very clearly the favorites if you listen to German pundits.”
“And we, the unmatched, unquestioned, must demonstrate our worth.” Right, dear readers, pundits? We’ll see.
Mueller described the event as “emotionally special” and “emotionally special” against our biggest domestic rival on the big stage in his regular newsletter sent to fans on Sunday.
It’s about winning, but it’s also about a lot of prestige. The brief tussles between the two clubs, in my opinion, are quite entertaining. As a child and fan, I’ve always enjoyed that.
‘Never outsiders’,
Bayern may not always do well in the league this year, but they have done a lot of work when needed.
Bayern have struggled in the Champions League, particularly when they are away from home.
In the current season’s competition, Bayern has only scored one goal and not conceded eight goals to Aston Villa, Barcelona, and Feyenoord away.
To draw 1-1 at home against Celtic in mid-February and avoid extra time, Bayern needed a stoppage-time Alphonso Davies goal.
Former Germany midfielder and pundit Michael Ballack, who played for both Bayern and Leverkusen during his time at Stamford Bridge, said the Bavarian giants could not be overlooked.
Bayern are never outsiders, in my opinion, regardless of the state they are in. “Many are betting on Leverkusen, but Bayern are never that kind of a player.
With recent victories against Frankfurt and Stuttgart (in the league), they have “made a lot of things right.”
Before the match, Ballack claimed Bayer was “on a par with Bayern” and that he was “on a par with Bayern.” In 2002, Ballack lost to Leverkusen in the Champions League final against a Zinedine Zidane-inspired Real Madrid.
Source: Channels TV
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