When Bayern Munich takes on Villarreal in a must-win Champions League match this week, Julian Nagelsmann will be under pressure.
Bayern Munich isn't having a nice time right now. In recent weeks, the Bundesliga champions have struggled, most recently falling 1-0 to Villarreal in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie. It was followed by an equally difficult Bavarian derby against FC Augsburg, in which they had to work hard to win 1-0.
The only difference between the two teams was a fortuitous penalty late in the game, highlighting Bayern's recent lack of domination. The German Rekordmeister will have the chance to right the wrongs on Tuesday when they host Villarreal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern coaches have been evaluated based on their achievement in Europe throughout the years. Nagelsmann, no matter how talented, should not be an exception. In that perspective, an early exit from the Champions League may be viewed as a major setback for a team that has never looked dominant enough this season, even in domestic tournaments.
Bayern was eliminated early from the DFB Pokal, and in the Bundesliga, they have had to depend heavily on Borussia Dortmund's inconsistency to maintain a comfortable lead.
They'll be up against a Villarreal team hungry to succeed in Europe after a disappointing La Liga season that has them languishing in seventh place with little chance of finishing in the top six.
Bayern Munich's Team News and Tactics
Julian Nagelsmann has provided team news before of this encounter, confirming Niklas Sule's unavailability due to illness. Other players who have been ruled out due to injury include Corentin Tolisso, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Bouna Sarr.
Nagelsmann has also suggested that he would deploy a powerful and familiar eleven, implying that a four-man backline might be on the cards. In the defense unit, though, he is faced with a problem. Alphonso Davies has regained full fitness, but his performances have fallen short of expectations.
In the weekend draw with Athletic Club, Unai Emery made the bold choice of totally replacing his starting eleven. Villarreal are expected to revert those alterations, as they want to keep the same lineup that defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the first leg.
With just Alberto Moreno and Boulaye Dia out injured, Emery will have the luxury of selecting from an almost totally fit lineup. Arnaut Danjuma and Gerard Moreno are the favorites to lead the line once more, with the former being a threat with his pace and goal-scoring abilities.
Moving deeper, Emery is set to use a typical 4-4-2 formation, with the veteran midfield combination of Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue in charge. They can count on wide players Giovani Lo Celso and Francis Coquelin to help them out, since both are capable of moving towards the center.
Robert Lewandowski has the greatest scoring ratio in the Champions League history (0.81 goals per game) with 85 goals in 105 matches, ahead of Lionel Messi (0.8) and Cristiano Ronaldo (0.9). (0.77).
Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies is ready to make his 110th competitive appearance. He has played in 20 Champions League games.
In UEFA tournaments, Bayern has returned from an away first-leg setback eleven times to win the tie.
Bayern Munich has recently enjoyed an outstanding home record versus Spanish opponents. They defeated Barcelona 3-0 at home in the group stage this season, and Atletico Madrid previous season.
Bayern Munich is in the Champions League quarter-finals for the 20th time in the competition's history.
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