Champions League Preview: Bayern Munich Travel To Rome

Louis van Gaal’s men will travel to The Eternal City to take on Roma in an epic European encounter. Bayern Munich will be less concerned with the result because their place in the round of sixteen has already been booked. Roma, on the other hand, have not earned any guarantees, and a positive result in front of their home support at the Stadio Olimpico will be expected.

Die Roten have travelled to the Italian capital without Mark van Bommel, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Holger Badstuber, which means Louis van Gaal will have to piece together a makeshift midfield and an aging center-half pairing which could leave the German champions pretty vulnerable in the middle of the park, especially when they’ll up against the likes of Fabio Simplicio and Davide Pizarro.  The Dutch tactician has also refused to highlight the threat that Francesco Totti could provide; which is absolutely ludicrous if you asked me. I’m sure he’s just playing his funny little mind games, but I don’t like it either way. If Martin Demichelis, let’s say, was one on one with Francesco Totti, who would you favor? The man is Roma’s all-time top goal-scorer, he’s one of the most decorated Italian footballers in the game, and he’s shown his class and quality over so many loyal years with Roma. If he isn’t the main threat in that side, then I don’t know who is!

Up top, Francesco Totti and Marco Borriello will likely pair up, which gives Roma a very versatile attack. Out wide, Jeremy Menez and Mirko Vucinic will look to cut inside and look for goal-scoring chances, which means Bayern Munich’s central pairing will definitely have their work cut out for them. Here’s a probable XI:

Julio Sergio – Cassetti, Juan, Burdisso, Castellini – Menez, Pizarro, Simplicio, Vucinic – Totti, Borriello

That’s definitely a side capable of getting a very positive result, especially at the Stadio Olimpico in front of a countless number of mental Romans. It’ll be an epic night down in Rome, and one that will be filled with action despite Bayern Munich’s comfortable Champions League position.