It would be fair to say that Bayern come into this tie with mixed feelings and mixed fortunes in the current season. They came in second in their group behind Bordeaux and have clearly not been in the best of form this season in the Champions League as well as in the Bundesliga. That is, until now off course.
Of late the German giants have slowly but steadily been able to turn things round. Their latest victory over Wolfsburg shows the character and determination that this German powerhouse has. A 3-1 victory at Wolfsburg moved them up to second in the Bundesliga table behind Bayer Leverkusen only on goal difference.
Before coming up against Fiorentina they face Greuther Furth in the DFB Cup and then have a Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund. The good news for FC Bayern is that Franck Ribery will get a start for the first time since October against Greuther Furth and should be fully fit for the Champions league tie against Fioretina. On the other hand Miroslav Klose, Jorg Butt and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all on the injured list and only time will tell whether they will make it back in time for the crucial first leg of the Champions league clash with Fiorentina on the 17th of February.
Fiorentina have to watch out for creative runs up and down the flanks with the likes of Ribery and Arjen Robben in the German Giants armory. Bayern Munich will certainly look to these two experienced wingers to draw out and expose the Fiorentina defense.
Fiorentina on the other hand have had a good Champions league outing so far ending top of their group beating out the likes of Liverpool and Lyon. The problem being their form has failed them in recent times. They have just come off a 1-0 defeat to Roma and do not feature in the top four of the Italian Serie A. Their recent form has been poor to say the least. In fact they currently stand a lowly 11th in the race for the Scudetto.
Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino will be two players that Fiorentina would look to for some inspiration but their midfield and defense will have to be on guard and play some amazing football to keep the German club at bay.
One thing for certain though, they are not going to let their recent escapades be any kind of a factor in the Champions league tie. After all, the Champions league is a separate competition with an enigma and aura of its own. If anything they will go in to the clash confident after topping their group and displaying some fine form and glorious football in the group stages.
This tie has the makings of a thriller and one could be in for a surprise or two. If I were a betting man; the smart money would be on Bayern who simply have too much experience at this level. Then again, Bayern have choked on the big stage in recent years and as far as smart money is concerned not many would have bet against Liverpool who Fiorentina ousted rather comfortably.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
