Saturday, 5 April 2014

DISCUSSION: Can Man U beat Bayern?


Bayern host United in the 2nd leg of  the UCL semi finals on Wednesday, having drawn 1-1 at Old Trafford, last Tuesday. So who will win it? Lets have a look:

BAYERN's PERFORMANCE:

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich suffered their first league defeat in 18 months when they slumped to a 1-0 loss at Augsburg on Saturday as Sascha Moelder's first-half strike ended their record 53-game unbeaten league run.

The Bavarians, who clinched this season's title in record time with seven games left, had not lost in the Bundesliga since a 2-1 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in October 2012.

With Bayern coach Pep Guardiola fielding a second-string team and resting key players ahead of next week's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester United, the champions had trouble finding their rhythm.

"We tried everything until the end," Guardiola told reporters. "But we have to accept that in football you cannot always expect to win. Now we have to prepare quickly for our big game against Manchester."

The Spaniard left Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and captain Philipp Lahm back in Munich and fielded teenagers Mitchell Weiser, Ylli Salahi and Pierre Hojbjerg.

"We want to win every game and we wanted to do it today as well but it did not work," Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos said. "But we still do not want to give away the games."

Augsburg made a strong start and shocked the visitors with Moelders, starting instead of striker Raul Bobadilla, drilling in on the half hour after Mitchell Weiser lost possession in the Bayern half.

Augsburg briefly picked up where they left off early in the second half with Alexander Esswein's effort palmed away by keeper Manuel Neuer.

Guardiola sent on Thomas Mueller, Mario Goetze and David Alaba and the visitors instantly wrestled control away from the hosts.

Austria international Alaba hit the post as Bayern put Augsburg on the back foot and Goetze and Mueller also went close for the Bavarians.

Augsburg successfully soaked up the Bayern pressure and even hit the post in the final minute before claiming a memorable victory, their first ever in the league against a team leading the Bundesliga.
UNITED's PERFORMANCE:

Juan Mata inspired Manchester United to a 4-0 victory at Newcastle on Saturday, securing a 10th away win in the Premier League that belies the champions' poor home form.

The 25-year-old Spaniard, who joined United from Chelsea in January, scored twice, including directly from a free kick, to take his tally to three goals in his last two games.

Showing that United can cope without injured striker Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and substitute Adnan Januzaj added further goals in the second half to hand Newcastle a fourth loss in five league games.

David Moyes' United moved up to sixth place, while Newcastle stayed ninth.

COMPARISION:

Bayern lost a close game while United routed one. But the fact is that Bayern rested its key player and United's star Mata is not available for the tie.

INJURIES AND BANS:

Javi Martinez (accumulation of yellow cards)
Schweingster (Red Card)
Thiago (Injury)
Rooney (Toe Injury)
van Persie (Injury)
Mata (Ineligible)

Please comment your views too.

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