Champions League: Bayern Munich eye tough Sevilla clash in first-leg quarterfinal

Add as a preferred source on Google

London, April 3: Sevilla will welcome reigning and impending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Tuesday (April 4) as they look to gain the upper hand in their two-legged Champions League quarterfinals meeting.

Bayern Munich and Sevilla are coming to this encounter after going through vastly contrasting fortunes.

Sevilla had wasted a two-goal advantage against Barcelona in the La Liga while Bayern hammered Borussia Dortmund 6-0 in the Bundesliga. But those results will have no bearing on their Champions League meeting.

A quick look at the facts

These teams have played only once against each other and that too in an exhibition match way back in 1992.

Bayern took part in a friendly match that was arranged to present new signing Diego Maradona, who had just served a 15-month ban for cocaine use.

Maradona played a crucial part in two goals as he lined up alongside the likes of Diego Simeone and Rafa Paz, and Davor Šuker, as Sevilla cruised to a 3-1 win.

Key battle

Sergio Escudero (Sevilla) vs Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich

Muller is one of the most intelligent players in European football and his versatility is key to Bayern's success. As Philipp Lahm's successor in Bayern's back four, Kimmich will offer the visitors extra quality in attack as well as a no-nonsense approach to defending.

The man tasked with keeping the German pair quiet will likely be Sevilla's stand-in captain, Sergio Escudero, a former Schalke player.

How the match could pan out

Sevilla and Bayern could serve up one of the most exciting games of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Sevilla's feat of knocking Manchester United out of the competition has largely been played down, with fans and media alike choosing to criticise José Mourinho's tactics.

That said, Bayern are a different kettle of fish entirely and hold edge on paper.

What they said

Jupp Heynckes (Bayern coach): We have huge amount of respect for Sevilla. They play with a lot of desire and are always aggressive.

Vincenzo Montella (Sevilla coach): We will have to make Bayern do things that they are not used to.

Potential Sevilla starting line-up: Rico, Mercado, Kjaer, Lenglet, Escudero, N'Zonzi, Pizarro, Navas, Vazquez, Correa, Muriel.

Potential Bayern Munich starting line-up: Ulreich, Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Alaba, Martínez, Thiago, James, Müller, Ribéry, Lewandowski.