Bayern looking for perfect group stage against Inter

Tuesday sees Bayern play their last Champions League game of the year as they host Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena for the sixth and final matchday of the group stage (kick-off at 21:00 CET, coverage on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app with our live text and free web radio). Having won their last six fixtures across competitions, Julian Nagelsmann and his team are out to keep that form going and complete a perfect group stage. Here’s all you need to know in our preview.

Check out the best photos from the day before the game:

Situation for Bayern

Bayern are enjoying a flawless Champions League campaign thus far with five wins from as many games in the group. The 3-0 victory at Barcelona last Wednesday means Nagelsmann’s team are guaranteed to finish top of what many consider this season’s toughest group. It also means the encounter with Inter is no longer relevant to the outcome of Group C, but Bayern go into the game fully motivated as they seek to maintain their form ahead of the final three Bundesliga fixtures before the break for the World Cup.

“It’s no coincidence we‘re in a flow. We’ve gotten the right results in recent weeks. The balance is really good at the moment. Everyone’s defending, everyone’s attacking,” said midfielder Joshua Kimmich at Monday’s press conference. “It’s about sending out a message internally and externally again. We want to play with the enjoyment we’ve shown of late. We want to win the game to make a statement,” Bayern’s No.6 continued.

Here’s the best stats and facts on the game against Inter:

Opponents Inter Milan

Inter have also already qualified for the Champions League round of 16. Their 4-0 win at home to Viktoria Plzen last Wednesday meant the Nerazzurri could no longer be dislodged from second place by Barcelona in Group C. Simone Inzaghi’s team have 10 points from their five games. Their only defeat of this campaign was the reverse fixture against Bayern in Milan, with FCB winning 2-0. The Italians currently sit fifth in their domestic league with 24 points from 12 games. “Inter have a good team with very good players who can often find a way through tight spaces,” Nagelsmann described.

Inter claimed a comfortable win in the league at the weekend:

Fitness update

“We’ll have to rotate because a few players have knocks and are tired. The last few weeks have shown that our performances haven’t really dropped off with changes,” Nagelsmann stated on Monday. It means the likes of Ryan Gravenberch will get to feature against Inter. Bayern go into the game without Bouna Sarr (knee), Lucas Hernandez (fitness after muscle tear), Thomas Müller (hip problem), Manuel Neuer (shoulder), Matthijs de Ligt (knee problem) and Leroy Sane (fitness after muscle strain). The latter trained with the team for the first time again on Sunday, while Neuer and Hernandez also took a step closer to their comebacks on Monday. Find out more about the fitness of players here:

Inter come to Munich without Romelu Lukaku, Marcelo Brozovic, Danilo D’Ambrosio and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic. Edin Dzeko has a knock but is expected to feature in the squad.

What the coaches say

Julian Nagelsmann: “Inter play very attractive football. They have good patterns, both in defence and attack, and are very solid. They also caused us issues in the reverse fixture. We want to win the game, but we also have important matches to come in the Bundesliga, where it’s very tight in the table. Everyone can prove themselves. That’s a good feeling. It’s a Champions League match and 18 points in the group would be very good.”

Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan head coach): “It’s a challenge in a nice stadium against one of the best teams in Europe. We want a good game because we know it‘ll be tough because we’re facing a good team with a deep squad.”