Bayern Munchen host Group A’s bottom side Villarreal CF on matchday five looking to wrap up qualification for the last 16 for the fourth year running.
Bayern lead the group by three points from Manchester City FC and will secure their progress with victory. If they should win and City fail to beat SSC Napoli in the section’s other fixture, the Bavarian side would tie up first place too.
Bayern won the sides’ first encounter 2-0 at El Madrigal on matchday one and after another three defeats, Villarreal’s UEFA Champions League elimination is already sealed. That said, a win for the Spanish side would at least rekindle their hopes of sneaking into third place, should Napoli not beat City.
Bayern have won ten of their last 11 UEFA Champions League home outings, including successes against FC Zürich, City and Napoli this season.
Bayern Munchen also have an excellent home record against Spanish opposition, which reads W11 D5 L1. Their solitary defeat was a 3-2 reverse against RC Deportivo La Coruña in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League first group stage in which Roy Makaay – a future Bayern striker – hit a hat-trick.
Jupp Heynckes, Bayern’s coach, will need no reminding of Villarreal’s most recent visit to Germany when a 94th-minute Nilmar goal consigned his former club, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, to a 3-2 defeat in the first leg of last season’s UEFA Europa League round of 16. Villarreal finished 5-3 aggregate winners.
Villarreal‘s overall record in Germany is W2 D0 L1.
With four straight defeats, the Spanish side are on the worst run of form in their nine-year European history. They have also lost their last four away matches in UEFA club competition.
Bayern Munchen twice overcame Spanish opposition in European Cup finals, beating Club Atlético de Madrid after a replay in 1973/74 and Valencia CF on penalties in 2000/01.