How will Bayern Munich line up against AEK Athens?

It’s time for another Champions League night in Munich! This time, Bayern Munich host Greek side AEK Athens in the fourth game of the group stage. The Bavarians came out on top in Greece, but were roundly criticized for a seemingly lackluster performance. Coming off the back of a disappointing draw with Freiburg, and with Der Klassiker looming, Niko Kovac and his men will want to put their bet foot forward against the Greek visitors.

Team News

The most important news is that Arjen Robben definitely won’t play. We don’t know what’s wrong with him but he did miss yesterday’s training session so it was always a possibility. He joins Thiago Alcantara, Kingsley Coman, and Corentin Tolisso on the list of players that definitely won’t play tomorrow.

Kovac said that James Rodriguez has a calf injury and is doubtful for the game. While the coach said that they would wait until the final training session to decide if he can play, he most likely won’t, given Kovac’s record for caution. That means that Thomas Muller is almost guaranteed to start, after being left on the bench in Bayern’s last UCL game.

Luckily, James will probably be fit for the Klassiker. The last thing Bayern needs right now is more long-term injuries. With James and Robben out, but Muller in, it’s likely that Leon Goretzka could start at attacking midfield. The German has shown good chemistry with Muller and Joshua Kimmich in the past.

While Kovac didn’t say anything about it, Franck Ribery is most likely to start on the left wing. Before you groan, remember that Gnabry just played a full 90 minutes, and he’ll be needed against Dortmund — it would make sense to rest him now.

With all that out of the way, here are our predictions for tomorrow’s lineup:

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