The return of UEFA Champions League football may be of little relief to Manchester United, who travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich after suffering their third defeat in five Premier League games over the weekend. While Erik ten Hag may be feeling the pressure in this early stage of the season, Thomas Tuchel faces lofty expectations to guide Bayern Munich into the final stages of this competition.
Read on for Last Word on Football’s predictions for Bayern Munich vs Manchester United and the best odds for the match at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich vs Manchester United Predictions and Best Odds as Two European Heavyweights Collide
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How Bayern Munich Have Started the Season
The start of the 2023/24 season has been a mixed bag for the German Giants. A 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup meant that one piece of silverware had already eluded Bayern Munich. However, three consecutive Bundesliga wins helped Tuchel’s side bounce back before their game against Bayer Leverkusen over the weekend.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who many expect to push Tuchel’s side for the title this season, scored a 94th-minute equaliser at the Allianz Arena on Friday to secure a 2-2 draw in a thriller at the Allianz.
Despite being unbeaten and second in the Bundesliga table, level on points with Alonso’s first-placed side, Tuchel is under pressure after a poor run of form nearly saw them lose the title at the back end of last season and eased out of the Champions League quarter-finals by a dominant Manchester City side.
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The signing of Tottenham legend Harry Kane, previously heavily linked with the Old Trafford outfit, has reignited expectations that the Bavarians will compete with the best teams in Europe.
Kane has scored four goals in his first four games and with the likes of Leroy Sane also in top form, Bayern’s hitmen will be relishing the chance to take on a Manchester United side struggling for form and confidence.
Manchester United Enduring Poor Run of Form
Manchester United’s defeat to Brighton on Saturday was their first home loss in the Premier League since the opening game of the 2022/23 campaign, which came against the same opponent.
It shows how far the club have fallen performance-wise that pundits have deemed the result unsurprising. Rasmus Hojlund made a promising home debut but the team were still disjointed and tactically outsmarted by Roberto De Zerbi’s superior side.
The result follows poor showings in every game so far, with questions beginning to be asked of the manager’s impact on form and tactical flexibility.
There have been clear issues in defence, as Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez have struggled as a duo, although there has been a noteworthy lack of cover for them. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s injury is yet another setback to the side who are now left with only two senior full-backs available in Sergio Reguilon and Diogo Dalot.
The midfield has come under criticism ever since the start of the season, after repeatedly losing key battles in their opening matches. This will not be easily addressed in the short term with a change of personnel, as star signing Sofyan Amrabat is still recovering from injury and training alone from the squad.
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United are also suffering from a clear lack of options on the right wing ahead of the game against Bayern Munich. Jadon Sancho and Antony’s continued absences leave Ten Hag with few options other than to turn to inexperienced youth such as Facundo Pellestri. It seems more likely that he will once again use the box midfield deployed against the Seagulls on Saturday, or that he may use Bruno Fernandes as a right winger.
Recent Head-to-Head
The most recent competitive meeting between the sides was in the 2014 Champions League quarter-finals where Bayern Munich progressed 4-2 on aggregate. A 1-1 draw at Old Trafford preceded a 3-1 home win for the German side, with Thomas Muller, expected to feature on Wednesday, on the scoresheet 9 years ago.
Bayern Munich also were the victors in the last two-legged tie back in 2010 on away goals after overturning a 3-0 deficit at Old Trafford to secure a 4-4 draw on aggregate.
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Bayern Munich vs Manchester United Prediction
It’s difficult to be optimistic of a Manchester United victory, which would be a bold statement for their Dutch manager after recent criticism. Equally, it is hard to look past Bayern Munich’s strength in the starting eleven.
Tuchel finally appears to have a settled side, with real quality in the forward areas behind Kane, even with the absence of Kingsley Coman. There is every chance this type of huge fixture may motivate the United players to play to their peak but it would be miraculous to see such a dramatic turnaround after the chaos of their opening games of the season.
We predict a comfortable home win for the German champions as they seek to assert their dominance and top their Champions League group for the 14th consecutive year.
Former Spurs legend Harry Kane will be expected to get on the scoresheet against a struggling back four and should improve his relatively poor record against United (by his lofty standards), after scoring just five times in 19 career appearances against the Red Devils. He has scored at least eight times against any other opposition when having played at least that number of matches against them.
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While United’s Raphael Varane and Mason Mount have returned to training, it is uncertain whether they will feature. The club’s extensive list of absentee players, including Shaw, Wan-Bissaka, Amrabat, Sancho and Antony is sure to make the challenge in Germany even more difficult,
Best Odds Ahead of Wednesday’s UCL Group Stage Opener
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