Having opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a fine away win, Bayern München host Manchester City on matchday two hoping to maintain their impressive home record against English opposition.
This is the first meeting between the Group A rivals with Bayern holding the early advantage in the section thanks to a 2-0 win at Villarreal CF on 14 September, when City were held 1-1 at home by SSC Napoli.
Including their 2-0 play-off success against FC Zürich, Bayern have won eight of their last nine UEFA Champions League home outings. The only blip was their defeat by FC Internazionale Milano in last season’s round of 16.
Bayern München‘s last English visitors were Manchester United FC for a 2009/10 quarter-final in which the Bavarian side snatched a 2-1 victory through Franck Ribéry (77) and Ivica Olić (90+2).
Manchester City will hope to succeed where United have failed in four attempts by winning at Bayern, yet the four-time European champions have a strong home record against English opposition with nine wins and just one defeat – against Norwich City FC in 1993 – in 15 matches.
Olić was in the Hamburger SV team that were 3-1 winners on City’s last trip to Germany, for a 2008/09 UEFA Cup quarter-final. Of their starting lineup that night, only Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha and Pablo Zabaleta remain in City’s UEFA Champions League squad.
Earlier that same season Manchester City beat a FC Schalke 04 side including Manuel Neuer and Rafinha 2-0 in the group stage to record their first win in Germany. City’s overall record away to Bundesliga opposition is W1 D0 L3.
Bayern München lifted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup with a 2-0 final triumph against Leeds United AFC in 1975, although they lost finals to Aston Villa FC (0-1, 1982) and Manchester United (1-2, 1999).