Bayern Munchen are a rare sight in UEFA Champions League qualifying and they will look to maintain their perfect record against an FC Zürich side seeking a second appearance in the group stage.
The German giants are well placed to progress again thanks to first-leg goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger (8) and Arjen Robben (72).
The sides had never met in UEFA competition before the first leg.
Bayern had played only four UEFA competition games against Swiss teams, overcoming Neuchâtel Xamax FC 3-2 on aggregate in the 1987/88 European Champion Clubs’ Cup second round in Jupp Heynckes’ first spell in charge. They beat FC Basel 1893 2-1 (away) and 3-0 (home) in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage.
Zürich have played 12 games against sides from the ‘Big canton’ with the record W2 D1 L9 (W2 D0 L4 in Switzerland). Their only success in five two-legged ties against German opponents came in the 1976/77 European Champion Clubs’ Cup quarter-finals, where they defeated SG Dynamo Dresden on away goals; Liverpool FC beat them 6-1 over two legs in the semi-finals.
A 1-0 win at home against R. Standard de Liège ended Zürich’s run of three European home games without a win since beating FK Ventspils 2-1 in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League play-offs.
Bayern Munchen have won four of their last five away games in Europe, with a 3-2 loss at AS Roma in last season’s UEFA Champions League group stage blotting their copybook. Four-time European champions Bayern have won the continent’s top club competition only once in the UEFA Champions League era, in 2000/01, but were losing finalists in both 1998/99 and 2009/10. They have been absent from the UEFA Champions League group stage only once since 1997/98, featuring in the UEFA Cup in 2007/08.
Third in the Bundesliga last term, only twice have Bayern Munchen had to come through qualifying to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage. They won 5-1 on aggregate against FK Obilić in the second qualifying phase in 1998/99 and 6-1 over two legs against another Serbian side, FK Partizan, in the 2002/03 third qualifying round.
Zürich made it to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the only time in 2009/10. They failed to progress, but enjoyed two memorable games against AC Milan, a 1-0 win at San Siro and a 1-1 draw at home. They lost their remaining four matches against Real Madrid CF and Olympique de Marseille.
This is Zürich’s fourth qualifying campaign. They lost to FC Salzburg (agg: 2-3) in the second qualifying round in 2006/07 and against Beşiktaş JK (agg: 1-3) in the following season’s third qualifying round.
In 2009/10 they beat NK Maribor (agg: 5-3) in the third qualifying round and then disposed of FK Ventspils in the play-offs (agg: 5-1). A 2-1 aggregate win for Urs Fischer’s men against Standard in this season’s third qualifying round means they are now unbeaten in three qualifying ties.