Manchester United will take on Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League on Wednesday.
This is arguably the most interesting match of the remaining quarterfinals as it features two historic clubs in a shocking turnout.
Bayern Munich is the defending champion and was expected to destroy Manchester United in the first leg of this matchup. However, the champs not only struggled at the Old Trafford but also were the inferior side for much of the match. United created more chances and could have actually won the game if not for a disallowed goal and a lack of finishing from the forwards.
Manchester United enters the game after a solid week which includes the draw and two blowout wins. As might be expected, the team is confident heading into the game.
"It's a key victory to try to climb the table and go to Germany full of confidence," said Juan Mata about his team according to Goal.com. "This victory gives us a lot of energy for our game in Munich on Wednesday."
Mata cannot play in the match because he has already played in the tournament for another team; he is what they call "cup-tied." He played for Chelsea throughout the group stage of the tournament and is thus not allowed to play for United in Wednesday's game.
"I'll be supporting from home, in front of the TV, aware that the Allianz Arena is one of the toughest stadiums in Europe ... but also aware that we are Manchester United and I'm sure we can make it through!" he added.
Meanwhile Bayern Munich enters the game coming off a loss for the first time in 53 Bundesliga matches. The team has not won in its last three games overall and is the weakest it has looked all year.
Munich won its first five group games of the Champions League including a 3-1 win over Manchester City in London. However, at home the team lost 3-2 to City. In the round of 16, Bayern Munich took on Arsenal and struggled in the opening 15 minutes of that game. If not for a Mesut Ozil miss on the penalty, Arsenal could have won that game. Instead Munich wound up getting a man advantage near the end of the first half and walked away with a 2-0 win. At home, the team only managed a 1-1 draw. In 2012-13 Munich won 3-1 at Arsenal but lost 2-0 in the return leg. From these three examples it is clear that Munich is weaker at home against English rivals, meaning that United has a huge chance to win this matchup.
Manchester United walked out of the first round with four wins and two draws but lost 2-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 against Olympiacos. However the team managed a 3-0 win at home in the return leg.
Prediction: Manchester United manages a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena and qualifies for the semifinals.
The match kicks off at 3:45 p.m. EST and can be streamed online on Fox Soccer 2 Go. It can also be viewed on Fox Soccer Plus.
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