Owen Hargreaves predicts Bayern Munich to beat Manchester United in Champions League opener
The Champions League group stage gets underway this week and one of the headline acts will be the Bundesliga champions hosting the struggling Red Devils. Bayern Munich and Manchester United have been drawn together in Group A, alongside FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Owen Hargreaves, who made over 200 appearances for Bayern and 39 for the Red Devils, is expecting the match on Wednesday night in Bavaria to go with the form book, although warns the Germans that United are still dangerous.
Bayern Munich in Good Form
Bayern have not had the perfect start to the campaign, but three wins and a draw from their opening four games sees them sit second in the league table, only behind Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference. The signing of Harry Kane has added to their attacking firepower, with the England captain scoring four goals in four Bundesliga appearances.
Manchester United Struggling
In contrast, United’s home defeat to Brighton on Saturday has left them 13th in the Premier League with just six points from five games, with those two wins coming narrowly over Wolves and Nottingham Forest. Hargreaves believes that Bayern are favourites to win the match at home, but warns that United are still a threat.
“They’ve got a quality attack: Marcus Rashford is a great counter-attacking player, Bruno Fernandes plays brilliant balls in behind, so United have a lot of chances. However, if Bayern are in their normal form, I expect them to win the match at home.”
Group A Favourites
Bayern and United are certainly favourites to progress to the knockout stages given the other two clubs in their group are FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray. The Danish and Turkish clubs meet in Istanbul on Wednesday as they look to get their own campaigns underway in style.
Conclusion
It is clear that Bayern Munich are favourites to win when they face Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday night. However, United still have a quality attack and could cause an upset if they can find their form. The other two teams in the group, FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray, will also be looking to make an impact in the competition.