FC Bayern have historically done well in the Champions League opener. The record champions have won their last 13 opening matches in Europe’s elite club competition – a CL record. The men from Munich most recently failed to win their first Champions League game 15 years ago, losing 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna in the 2002/03 season. Future Bayern striker Roy Makaay scored a hat-trick that day. Here are some more interesting stats, compiled by fcbayern.com!
Previous results favour Bayern
FC Bayern and Anderlecht have faced off ten times in competitive matches and so far Bayern have the edge: the record reads five wins, two draws, three defeats. The most recent matchup was in the last 16 of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup, when Bayern comfortably advanced (5-0, 1-2). 2003/04 saw the two teams’ only encounter in the Champions League. After a 1-1 draw in Brussels, Bayern won 1-0 in Munich in the last round of group matches, and so finished second and advanced to the knockout stages.
2 out of 36
The Belgians tend not to perform well when playing away in Europe. Anderlecht have won only two out of 36 away games in the Champions League, with 12 draws and 22 defeats. Since the 1-0 victory at Real Betis in December 2005, 12 away games have gone by without a single win. But be warned: Anderlecht’s last three games against notable opposition have all ended in a draw (Dortmund, Arsenal, Galatasaray).
Goals almost guaranteed
In nine out of the ten previous matches against the Belgians the men from Munich have scored at least once. The only time they failed to find the net was the 2-0 defeat in Anderlecht in the 1985/86 European Cup quarter final return leg.
Salihamidzic & Sagnol vs. Deschacht
Assistant coach Willy Sagnol played in three matches against the Belgian champions, including the last meeting in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup last 16. He led Bayern out onto the pitch as captain in the first leg 5-0 away win and played the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 defeat in the return fixture. In the 2003/04 1-0 group stage win the Frenchman was brought on as a sub. Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also played in 2003/04, in both group matches. For Anderlecht Olivier Deschacht played back then and is still playing now.
Italian referees
Paolo Tagliavento will be the referee for Tuesday evening’s match. It will be a first for the Italian: the 44-year-old has never before refereed a Bayern match. Tagliavento did referee Anderlecht in their 3-0 loss against Borussia Dortmund in October 2014. Other German teams refereed by Tagliavento include Schalke (a 2-0 win against Basel in December 2013), and Leverkusen (a 1-0 loss against Moncaco in November 2014).
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