Champions League: Unstoppable Bayern Can Leave Their Group A Foes in the Dust

Bayern Munich vs Galatasaray

It feels inevitable that Bayern Munich are going to advance to the Round of 16 of the Champions League, but Galatasaray have the chance to cause delay.

The reigning Bundesliga titlists are on top of Group A because they’ve managed to beat all of their groupmates thus far. And not only are they the favourites to come out of the group, but they’re also considered contenders for winning the whole thing too.

Perhaps what’s more surprising is that Galatasaray are right behind them in second place with four points, but they cannot be complacent because Manchester United might overtake them with another win against Copenhagen.

The reverse fixture was a Turkish delight for Bayern Munich because they won 3-1, but can Galatasaray turn the tables when they visit the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening?

Talking Points

Kane on fire while Upamecano makes timely comeback

Bayern Munich made one heck of a statement by winning the Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday with a score of 4-0.

The Bavarian giants came out with a 2-0 lead inside the opening nine minutes, as Dayot Upamecano headed the ball in the fourth minute before Harry Kane doubled their lead five minutes later.

Kane completed his hat-trick after halftime, scoring in the 72^nd minute and in added time. The former Tottenham striker has now recorded back-to-back hat-tricks and has broken the record for most goals in the first 10 games of a season with 15 goals.

His first goal was inside the penalty box when Bayern Munich went out in transition after Borussia Dortmund turned the ball over. Kane’s second and third were a couple of sublime finishes past Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Besides Kane, Upamecano also deserves a shoutout for his work on both sides of the pitch.

He may have opened the scoring for the Bavarian giants, but the former RB Leipzig man was indirectly responsible for Kane’s second goal when he intercepted an attempted through ball from Niclas Fullkrug to spark another counterattack.

Prior to the game, there were valid concerns about Bayern Munich’s backline since Kim Min-Jae was initially listed as their lone fit centre-back, so Upamecano’s return from a hamstring injury was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Galatasaray are (and should be) more than just Icardi

On paper, Gala can pose problems to Bayern Munich’s backline since they have several players who are talented enough to find the back of the net.

Mauro Icardi has been their leading scorer this season with 10 league goals and was the lone scorer in their loss against the Bavarians, but he will need help in order for them to have a chance of causing an upset.

We’re looking at the likes of Kerem Akturkoglu, Wilfried Zaha, Sergio Oliveira, and Hakim Ziyech to make an impact on Wednesday.

Oliveira scored Gala’s match winner against Rizespor, while Zaha notched a brace in their 2-1 win against Kasimpasa last time out.

History

Bayern Munich will host Galatasaray for the first time since the first round of the 1972-73 European Cup, where they won 6-0 following a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.

Gala’s five road matches against German opposition in the Champions League have produced a total of 22 goals, which has led to a losing record (4.4 per game, W2, D3).

The Turkish juggernauts have only won one of their last 18 road matches in the Champions League (D3, L14), with their lone victory being a 3-2 win against Manchester United in the second matchday this term. Galatasaray have scored as many goals in that contest as in their previous 10 away trips combined.

The Bavarian giants are undefeated in 28 consecutive Champions League group stage home games (W27, D1), having taken 82 of their last 84 points available.

Betting Tip

The Bavarian giants are priced at 1.21, while a shock victory for Gala is at 9.25 (compared to 5.40 before), and a draw is installed at 6.00 in the 1X2 market.

Thomas Tuchel’s men should win this game with ease. As things stand now, Bayern Munich are the second favourites to win it all, pegged at 5.00 behind Manchester City’s 3.00, as per the SBOTOP Champions League 2023 odds. And we figure that both sides will add entries to the Champions League 2023 highlights reel again, making bets like Over 3.50 at 1.68 and Total Goals 4-6 at 1.95 viable, while Correct Score 3-1 in favour of Bayern Munich– a replay of the reverse fixture –  offers a generous payout of 8.25.

 

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