Some interesting results from Bayern's Champions League campaign last season:
Group Stages:
Borisov 3 - 1 Bayern
Valencia 1 - 1 Bayern
Knockout stages (aggregate score):
Bayern 3 - 3 Arsenal
Bayern 4 - 0 Juventus
Bayern 7- 0 Barcelona
From these statistics it is evident that Bayern took a while to get going in last year's competition. Albeit Guardiola's first campaign with his new club, Bayern were by no means dominant until the quarter final stages where they hammered Juventus.
Bayern's 2013-14 campaign has played out in a similar fashion. They have been beaten in the group stage, by Manchester City at the Allianz Arena. They've drawn us in the last 16 and started well, yet our performance before Szczesny's sending off showed that they can be outplayed.
From the scoreline we're better placed than last year: Bayern have one less away goal. But Munich are very capable of punishing even top quality defences.
Where will we struggle? With the inexplicably aged Dutchman skipping down the right and the wiley Frenchman (who returned from injury this week) zipping down the left, Bayern are pretty much at full strength. Ideally we'd have had Ramsey back sooner and Walcott's blistering pace to utilise but as per at least one of key players is perpetually injured. At least Vermaelen showed he is still able to put in a performance, which could prove useful should we need to defend a lead (imagine!). A couple more Laurent 'unflappable' Koscielnys at the back would be useful to butt out Robben's homoerotic dancing and block an inevitable stream of shots on goal. But flappable or unflappable, they're going to come.
The only way is to alienate a few people. Play like Bayern did against Barcelona, back ourselves to leave a few rapid attackers up field. In the form he's in Alex Oxlade-Chambo will run at players, beat players, take blistering long range shots. I'd like to see him given free reign to linger and latch onto the clearances we'll be making all game long.
I'd like Rosicky to start. Those (often) reckless slide tackles break up the game and his forward play is good enough to create definitive chances.
Flamteta can't happen and I err on the side of Arteta for his fine penalty taking. But without going into the team, all I'm saying is let's fight fire with fire. Alienate Ox, alienate Tomas, plonk the handsome man up front and throw eggs on the ballerina down the right, chuck another shark at the talented man down the left, close our eyes and hope the ball lands in front of Alex Ox-Chambo or one of our other aliens.
Check out our blog on why last year's result at the Allianz will make causing an upset even harder: here
Come on you lovely reds
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