Liverpool vs Bayern Munich 20/02/19

20 February 2019

The Premier League title contenders and the reigning Bundesliga champions go head-to-head at Anfield as Liverpool tackle Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 clash.

After ten days of inactivity, the Reds return to action hoping they can stretch a five-game lossless streak (W3, D2) and preserve an almost perfect home record this season (W14, D2, L1). Not only the Merseysiders have racked up a 12-game home unbeaten run, but they have managed seven clean slates in that period, allowing over 1.5 goals per match only once in the process. What’s more, Mo Salah and his fellow teammates have bagged 3+ match goals in five of their last six home outings as they seem to be on their way of rediscovering their devastating attacking form. Although Liverpool have outplayed Bayern in both of their H2H meetings – including the one in the UEFA Super Cup back in 2001, it probably won’t have much relevance to this encounter.

Meanwhile, after a shock 3-1 road loss to Bayer Leverkusen, the visitors have bounced back having secured three straight wins across all competitions, scoring nine goals in the process. However, the Bavarians are dealing with some serious defensive issues in 2019 as they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in all of their six competitive clashes this year. In addition to conceding on each of their four away games in 2019, Niko Kovac’s men have allowed 2+ match goals on their last three road trips. But, surprisingly, the Bundesliga heavyweights have been more comfortable away from home this season, picking up 14 victories in 17 road meetings across all competitions (W14, D1, L3). Furthermore, Bayern have scored over 1.5 goals per match in all three of their away fixtures in the CL group stage which shows the kind of attitude they have when performing on the European scene.