Champions League Odds: Bayern-Man City prediction, pick, how to watch
Two European favorites head into Germany for the UCL! It’s time to check our Champions League odds series, starring our Bayern-Man City prediction, pick, and how-to-watch guide.
The Citizens enter Wednesday’s match with a 3-0 lead on aggregate by virtue of their victory in the first leg last week. Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland put in the goals for the Blues. City is also coming off a 3-1 win over Leicester City in Premier League action on Saturday.
The Bavarians have a lot of catching up to overturn the three-goal deficit. Bayern Munich drew 1-1 with TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Here are the Bayern-Man City soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Champions League Odds: Bayern-Man City Odds
FC Bayern Munich: +165
Draw: +280
Over 2.5 Goals: -190
Under 2.5 Goals: +156
How to Watch Bayern vs. Man City
TV: CBS, Univision, Univision NOW
Stream: Paramount+, ViX+
Time: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Bayern Can Beat Man City
This Bayern Munich side has struggled recently. In the last four matches, Bayern has two losses, one draw, and one victory. They have been outscored 6-3 over that stretch. With Bayern’s exit in the DFB Pokal after a loss to Freiburg and a Bundesliga crown in danger of being grabbed by a rising Borussia Dortmund side, the Bavarians need to recover after being down 3-0 to today’s visitors.
Thomas Tuchel’s men have been formidable at home this season. They are a perfect 4-0 in four Champions League matches, with victories over Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Viktoria Plzen. Bayern Munich has outscored their opponents, 11-0, and has prevented Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, and Lautaro Martinez from finding the back of the net. In the Bundesliga, Bayern remains undefeated at home, although they have nine wins and five draws in 14 games in the Allianz Arena.
In addition, Bayern has the potential to score goals in bunches. The club leads the Bundesliga in goals with 78, which is 16 more than the Black and Yellows in second place. Of those 78 goals, 44 have come at Allianz Arena. In nine Champions League games, Bayern has produced 21 goals and 18 assists while conceding only five.
There are big question marks over how this Bayern Munich side looks to approach this game. That will likely see them change a few things from the first leg with Dayot Upamecano perhaps one player that will drop out of the XI. There is also the massive talking point of Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane, who came to blows after that aforementioned first-leg clash. Lucas Hernandez and Manuel Neuer are out, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is doubtful to make an appearance.
The Bavarians are obviously massive outsiders to progress but to stand any chance of turning things around, they are going to have to try and take City on. Against a potent City squad, Bayern will need to match their averages of 56.0% ball possession, as well as their 19.3 tackles, 12.3 interceptions, and 13.3 clearances per match.
Why Man City Can Beat Bayern
The Premier League champions take their commanding lead heading into the second leg in Munich and they are also fighting on two other fronts this season. Pep Guardiola’s men could pull off the treble of winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. The latter is their main aim and City needs to overtake Arsenal if they are to retain their Premier League crown. City will also be looking to defend the Premier League trophy for three years, a feat not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign as Manchester United gaffer.
Spanish manager Pep Guardiola has long been accused of overthinking in the latter stages of this competition but he did not miss a beat in the first leg of this tie. He will have to get things horribly wrong in Germany for his side not to advance now, which analysts just do not see happening. City’s last loss was in February in a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham. The Sky Blues remain solid this year, notching just three defeats this 2023. City is currently on a 14-game winning streak, which includes a 3-1 win over relegation-bound and former Premier League champs Leicester City. City has a 9-3-3 record in their travels in England, which will hopefully translate in their travel to Germany.
Erling Haaland is in the midst of a prolific, record-breaking season. On Saturday, the 22-year-old striker from Norway scored a brace against Leicester City to tie Mohamed Salah’s record for goals in a 38-game Premier League season with 32. Haaland still has eight games remaining to break the record. Haaland already has broken the single-season record for goals by a Premier League player across all competitions with 47. In addition, Kevin De Bruyne leads the league with 15 assists. City still has plenty of scorers at their disposal, including Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, Jack Grealish, and Riyad Mahrez who combined for 26 goals.
With the way City is playing, it will be hard to see Guardiola naming a side that is particularly weakened, which means the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne will start here. Phil Foden’s status remains up in the air, but he will likely sit out this one. De Bruyne will be joined by Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan in the midfield while Haaland joins Grealish and Bernardo Silva in the attacking posts.
Final Bayern-Man City Prediction & Pick
City will be adamant to retain their record as the favorite to win this edition of the Champions League. Bayern will not easily give up, scoring goals to appease their fans but the three-goal deficit is just hard to climb. Back the visitors to proceed to the next round in this high-scoring game.
Final Bayern-Man City Prediction & Pick: Manchester City (+145), Over 2.5 goals (-190)
