LONDON: Manchester United, comprehensively outplayed by local rivals Liverpool and Manchester City at Old Trafford recently, face an even tougher challenge when holders Bayern Munich come calling in the Champions League on Tuesday (12:15am Wednesday in India).
Barcelona will play Atletico Madrid in the other match of the day.
Languishing seventh in the Premier League after a dismal first season under manager David Moyes, United are huge underdogs to get through the two-legged quarterfinal against the Bundesliga champions.
Moyes will take little comfort from results at the weekend when Bayern’s 19-match league winning streak ended in a 3-3 home draw with Hoffenheim after surrendering a 3-1 lead while United thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League.
United’s home form in the Champions League this season has been good, in marked contrast to their woeful Premier League record at Old Trafford.
The English champions have won their first four home matches in the competition, something they last did in the 2007-08 campaign when they made it six out of six and went on to lift the trophy for the third time in Moscow.
But Bayern, managed by Pep Guardiola who outfoxed United in the 2009 and 2011 finals as Barca coach, have won their last seven Champions League away games. They also beat United on away goals when the teams met at the same stage in 2010.
“We cannot allow Manchester United’s current position in the Premier League to affect our mindset for this game,” Bayern captain Philipp Lahm told uefa.com.
“We will travel to Manchester in order to play attacking football and score goals.”
Moyes can take heart from his team’s recovery in their last-16 tie against Olympiakos when they won 3-0 at Old Trafford thanks to a Robin van Persie hat-trick after losing the away leg 2-0.
Van Persie will miss both games against Bayern through injury but Wayne Rooney is enjoying a prolific run, the England striker’s two goals against Villa taking his tally to five this month and 15 in the league this season.
The tie brings together two teams who have lifted the European Cup eight times between them and they met in the 1999 final in Barcelona when United snatched a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat with two stoppage-time goals.
Bayern have beaten United in every meeting since and it would be a surprise if the Germans fail to make the semis. (Reuters)