BBC coverage
- How to follow:
- Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante will miss Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg with Bayern Munich.
The midfielder is expected to be out for about three weeks with an adductor injury.
Christian Pulisic, Pedro and Callum Hudson-Odoi are also unlikely to feature, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek is available after returning to the bench against Tottenham on Saturday.
Bayern defender Niklas Sule (knee) and forward Ivan Perisic (ankle) are out.
Spanish midfielder Javi Martinez could return, however, after missing the previous six matches with a muscle tear.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard says he has “no doubts” about his young squad going into the tie.
“I trust in all the players who have been part of the squad this year,” said Lampard. “They’ve earned trust in the way they’ve played.
“A big part of my job tomorrow is to explain to the players that over two legs we need to be at our maximum. We need every detail, every box ticked in both games.”
‘Bayern can win competition’
Tottenham were on the receiving end of a 7-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages in October, and Lampard was full of praise for the current Bundesliga leaders.
“Bayern are for sure a team that can win the title, when you go through their team and look at the talent and unity within it.
“They are top of the Bundesliga for a reason. It’s a club that seems to overcome difficulties. I have huge respect for the club.”
Chelsea have been eliminated in the last 16 of each of their last three Champions League campaigns, have failed to reach the quarter-finals since 2014, and will need to be wary of the threat posed by Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski has scored 42 goals in 38 games this season, and Bayern manager Hansi Flick said before the match that the Pole was in “the form of his life”.
“He’s top-fit and full of confidence,” said Flick. “He has a real run at the moment, and we hope that he will continue that here.
“As a leader up front he is very important for us.”
Lampard has also acknowledged the danger posed by Lewandowski: “His goalscoring, everything about him from afar; he’s just top-class. He’s a huge threat.”
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Chelsea and Bayern Munich last faced each other in the 2012 Champions League final, when Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties at the Allianz Arena.
- The four previous matches in all competitions between Chelsea and Bayern Munich have produced 17 goals, an average of 4.25 per game.
Chelsea
- Chelsea have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League 14 times in 17 seasons – only Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich can boast more knock-out stage appearances over that time.
- Chelsea have been eliminated in each of their last four two-legged Champions League ties, failing to win any of those eight games (D4 L4).
- Chelsea have won only one of their last six Champions League games at Stamford Bridge (D4 L1), a 2-1 victory against Lille last December.
- Chelsea and Bayern Munich scored the joint-most goals from set-piece in this season’s Champions League group stages (5).
- Chelsea manager Frank Lampard scored three goals in four Champions League games against Bayern Munich as a player, his joint-best record in the competition.
Bayern Munich
- Since losing the 2012 Champions League final against Chelsea, Bayern Munich have eliminated English clubs in four of their five subsequent home/away ties in the competition.
- Bayern Munich have reached the Champions League knockout stages for the 12th consecutive season – only Real Madrid (23) and Barcelona (16) are on a longer run.
- Bayern Munich won maximum points and had a goal difference of +19 in the Champions League group stages this season, the best-ever performance by a team in the group phase of the competition.
- None of the previous six teams to have won all their group games have lifted the trophy that same season.
- Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has scored 10 goals in this season’s Champions League, only the second time he’s reached double figures in the tournament after 2012/13 with Borussia Dortmund.
- However, he has failed to find the net in his last 597 minutes in the knockout stages of the tournament, his longest drought.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (3-4 after pens) (Champions League final, 19 May 2012)
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
