Holders Bayern München will look to strengthen their position at the top of Group D when they welcome bottom club Viktoria Plzeň, who are still without a point, on matchday three. Manchester City will look to put behind them a sobering home defeat by Bayern München when they make their first trip to Russia to take on CSKA Moskva.
What to expect from the Matches
Josep Guardiola’s holders have performed like champions in beating CSKA Moskva and Manchester City and now take on the group’s least experienced team, Plzeň. After two defeats so far, the Czech champions already find themselves with a mountain to climb – and a visit to a city where they lost 6-1 on their only previous visit is a daunting prospect for Pavel Vrba’s side. Bayern earned a 7-1 aggregate victory when the teams met in the 1971/72 European Cup Winners’ Cup first round.
Bayern have won 13 of their last 15 home UEFA Champions League fixtures in Munich, most recently a 3-0 success against CSKA on matchday one. Plzeň had been on a seven-match unbeaten streak on the road in UEFA competition prior to their 3-2 defeat at CSKA last time out. This is Bayern’s first encounter with Czech opposition since the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League first group stage when they met Sparta Praha. Bayern have never lost at home to Czech opposition and their overall record reads W7 D2 L1. Plzeň’s only other meeting with Bundesliga opposition came in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 32 against Schalke.
City’s 3-1 reverse against Bayern suggested that they might be battling Leonid Slutski’s CSKA for second place in Group D given that the two sides sit level on three points apiece, having each beaten Viktoria Plzeň but lost to the reigning champions. CSKA welcome City to Moscow having beaten Plzeň 3-2 on matchday two at St Petersburg’s Stadion Petrovski owing to bad weather conditions in the Russian capital. If they are to build on that previous ‘home’ win, they must improve on their recent European record at the Arena Khimki, where they lost to AIK in last term’s UEFA Europa League play-offs and took just three points in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage.
City lost five out of six away games in their previous two UEFA Champions League campaigns but made a winning start on their travels this time, 3-0 at Plzeň. CSKA’s overall home record against English sides is W2 L2 while City have never faced any Russian team before, home or away.
Player to watch out for
Álvaro Negredo (Manchester City): Negredo had scored on each of his last four appearances for club and country before the weekend and he scored in Spain’s wins against Belarus and Georgia as the holders qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He will look to get on the score sheet once again.
Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich): Ribéry has not been on the losing side in the Bundesliga in 38 games, equalling the German top-flight record. Ribéry converted a penalty and played a part in the five other goals as France overwhelmed Australia 6-0 in a friendly on 11 October, opening the scoring again in a 3-0 qualifying win against Finland four days later.
Predicted Score lines & Starting line ups
CSKA Moskva 1-1 Manchester City
CSKA Moscow will be battling to take second place in the group, and their home match against Manchester City could be one of the decisive fixtures for them if they can get a result. This is one match that could go either way, but with City traveling, CSKA can get at least a draw.
Bayern Munich 4-0 Viktoria Plzen
Bayern Munich will certainly be too strong for Plzen and it’s only a matter of how many goals are scored.