Bayern Munich hosts Benfica this Wednesday night in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena in a high-stakes match. The fourth round of the league phase runs these two European giants onto the field with sharply contrasted goals in phase. Bayern is looking forward to regaining its prestige after losses that shook both fans and critics, whereas Benfica aims at keeping the momentum going, thereby strengthening the good form that they have been building in the tournament.
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Bayern Munich: Recovery and Pressure
Bayern Munich steps onto the pitch on a mission to get rid of disappointment in their last couple of games. The Bavarians suffered two unexpected defeats: a 4-1 defeat at Barcelona and another one at Aston Villa. After that dominant start to the Champions League with a 9-2 win against Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern now faces an immediate recovery that needs to be made.
This puts Bayern under pressure, and expectations run high among the fans. Currently, they sit in a surprising 23rd place overall in the standings, a very unnatural position for such a traditionally dominant club. Harry Kane, the star from England and current top scorer in the Bundesliga with 11 goals in nine games, is the big hope to turn things around. Kane brings not only his talent but such a hunger for goals that he becomes essential in this match. And he's arriving just on cue: after finishing last season as top scorer with 36 goals, Kane keeps breaking records and has already netted two hat-tricks this season.
Benfica: Form Is Good, But Challenges Ahead
To the contrary, Benfica is cruising in smooth waters of the competition and currently stands at 13th place in the standings. The Eagles opened with an away win over Crvena Zvezda with two wins and one loss, then played exhibition in beating Atlético Madrid 4-0 at home. But the 3-1 home loss to Feyenoord brought some concerns.
One thing not in doubt, however, is that Kerem Aktürkoglu is Benfica's standout player. The Turkish winger is literally on fire, netting 13 goals in his last 14 games for club and country. Records are tumbling-the first Benfica player in almost six decades to score eight goals in his first seven games for the club. Aktürkoglu will always pose a threat towards Bayern's defense and can be the difference-maker in any eventual surprise of the Germans at the Allianz Arena.
Head-to-Head History: Dominance of Bavarian
Bayern's head-to-head against Benfica is not exactly laced with happy memories for the Portuguese side. The two have met a dozen times, which Bayern has won nine times, but Benfica are yet to beat the Germans. Three draws remain the closest the Eagles have ever come to taking points off Bayern in European competitions. As far as goals are concerned, Bayern's supremacy can be seen: they have scored 35 goals against the nine of Benfica.
The last time these teams faced each other was during the 2016 quarterfinals where Bayern went through rather easily. Since then, Bayern has played four more times against Benfica, winning every single one of them. At the Allianz Arena, Bayern was able to score five goals in each game, showing just how hard it can be for any team to try and beat the Germans at home.
The Forwards' Showdown: Kane vs Aktürkoglu
The match comes with not only this fight for points and standings but also a personal duel of two of the most lethal forwards this season. First, there is Harry Kane-who needs no introduction-leading the Bundesliga in goals and assists. On the other side will be Kerem Aktürkoglu, one of the breakout stars in Europe, having left his mark both at Benfica and on the Turkish national team.
While Kane seeks to keep Bayern at the top and restore the team, Aktürkoglu is Benfica's face of new revival. The common thing between them is a hunger for goals and an innate knack to decide games. In this context, which of the teams has the better disciplined defense will probably decide the fortunes of the game.