Bayern Munich and Manchester United go head to head in an exciting Champions League Group A encounter at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening.
The Germans have made an unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season thus far, recording three wins in four games. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Bayer Leverkusen at home in their previous league outing on Saturday.
In contrast, Man United have made a poor start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, suffering three defeats in the opening five games. Erik ten Hag’s men were dismantled 3-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford in their first outing after the international break on Saturday and may be dreading their visit to Bayern in midweek.
With that being said, here are the key battles that could define the outcome of the game between Bayern and Man United.
#Harry Kane vs Lisandro Martinez
Harry Kane has further improved the potency of Bayern’s attack following his big-money summer move from Tottenham. He has made a bright start to life in Germany, scoring four goals in as many games.
The England international has excelled as a playmaker over the last few years and is now as deadly from deep as he is in the box. However, Man United’s best chance of getting a result at the Allianz Arena is to restrict Kane to playing deeper and creating opportunities rather than finishing them, something Lisandro Martinez could be tasked to take care of.
Martinez has not been at his best so far this season, making sloppy errors at the back. The Argentinean will have to be defensively alert if he intends to stop Kane. He may have to follow the Bayern striker deep in midfield to try and stop him from spraying crosses, as well as defend against him tactfully in the box.
It will be interesting to see if Martinez can keep Kane under his tabs in this encounter.
#Marcus Rashford vs Bayern’s right side of defence
Against Brighton, Marcus Rashford played in a front two with Rasmus Hojlund as Ten Hag tried out a diamond midfield formation in the absence of a right-winger. Rashford was still United’s most dangerous player but it was far from the perfect performance.
The United No.9 is a menace when he’s at full flow, a handful even for first-choice defenders. The England international’s right-footedness means he regularly cuts inside to link up with Bruno Fernandes and co to devastating effects. This always leaves the full-back with a tough decision- follow Rashford inside and create a gap on the wing, or stay wide and let United dominate possession in the middle?
This is where the role of Noussair Mazraoui will be crucial. Mazraoui is expected to start ahead of Konrad Laimer at right-back, and he will need to communicate very well with Bayern’s right-sided centre-back, Dayot Upamecano. They both must stay defensively diligent and avoid any space behind for Rashford to run into.
#Jamal Musiala vs Casemiro
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed in his presser that Jamal Musiala is fit enough to start against Man United after working his way back from injury. The youngster replaced Thomas Muller after an hour of Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
One of Europe’s best young talents, Musiala being fully fit is a big boost for Bayern. The German international is quick, clever and creative, capable of beating down his marker or cutting inside and firing on goal. Monitoring his movements in the final third of the pitch is a tough task as Musiala could use his burst of acceleration to outrun his opponent in quick succession.
Casemiro will have to take the responsibility of stopping Musiala from hurting United. It is time for the experienced head of the Brazilian to turn up and show why he’s still among the best defensive midfielders in European football. He may have struggled this season but the 31-year-old is robust and his defensive intuition is remarkable.
Musiala is at his best centrally, running with the ball at speed and dribbling into spaces and Casemiro will try to curb that chaos with smart positioning, game reading, interceptions and tackling.
