Those teams: Unai Emery sticks with the same 11 that started against Bayern last week, opting for four central midfielders across the middle to provide added backbone. Giovani Lo Celso will be hoping to reprise a man of the match performance that will have left Spurs fans wondering why he never performed similar heroics for their side.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann has gone for a very attacking line-up with a back three rather than a back four. Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane are his wing-backs, two fine players but not men renowned for their defensive fortitude. Interesting … very interesting.
Bayernb Munich v Villarreal line-ups
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Sane, Kimmich, Goretzka, Coman, Musiala, Muller, Lewandowski.
Subs: Vidovic, Richards, Gnabry, Choupo-Moting, Wanner, Sabitzer, Davies, Roca, Kouassi, Ulreich, Tillman, Stanisic.
Villarreal: Rulli, Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Estupinan, Lo Celso, Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin, Gerard, Danjuma.
Subs: Sergio Asenjo, Mario, Alcacer, Iborra, Chukwueze, Trigueros, Pena, Pino, Mandi, Moi Gomez, Pedraza, Aurier.
Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Slavko Vincic
- Assistant referees: Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic
- Fourth official: Matej Jug
- Video Assistant Referee: Massimiliano Irrati
Early team news
Lucas Hernandez is reported to be fit again after recovering from a thigh injury that rulled him out of Bayern’s win over Augsberg at the weekend. Central defender Niklas Sule is out, bedridden with flu, while Bouna Sarr, Maxim Choupo-Moting and Corentin Tolisso are also out injured. Leon Goretzka is expected to be picked ahead of Serge Gnabry, who has not been pulling up too many trees of late.
Alberto Moreno remains a long-term absentee for Villarreal and French-born Senegal striker striker Boulaye Dia is also a doubt for tonight’s game. Villarreal coach Unai Emery sent out a second string side to draw with Athletic Bilbao last weekend and is expected to make wholesale changes this evening.
Champions League: Bayern Munich v Villarreal (agg: 0-1)
VIllarreal were the surprise 1-0 winners of the opening leg of this quarter-final against Bayern Munich, playing so well against the out-of-sorts German champions at the Estadio de la Ceramica that they actually became the unlikely subjects of admittedly muted criticism that they didn’t win the game by more.
Will they be punished at the Allianz Arena for their profligacy in front of goal in the first leg? We’ll find out in due course. Kick-off in Munich is at 8pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
