Bayern’s 7-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk back in 2014/15 remains the club’s joint-biggest victory in the Champions League. Things won’t be anywhere near that easy this Tuesday as the Reds head to Gelsenkirchen to take on the Ukrainian champions. Find out what issues the side sitting 26th in the league table face against Bayern and what tactics Vincent Kompany has employed of late in our pre-match stats and facts.
Two previous meetings
It’s a little under 10 years since Bayern and Shakhtar last met for their only previous competitive encounters. The pair played out a goalless draw in Lviv in the first leg of the 2014/15 round of 16 before Bayern ensured comfortable progress with a 7-0 win back in Munich that remains the Ukrainian side’s heaviest defeat in the Champions League. Besides the two games against Shakhtar, Bayern have only faced one other Ukrainian club in a competitive fixture, in fact taking on Dynamo Kyiv 12 times down the years (W6, D2, L4).
Thomas Müller scored two goals in that 7-0 win and has played a further 91 games in the Champions League since that day. Among currently active players, only Real Madrid’s Luka Modric has more appearances in the competition in that time (98).
Bayern aiming for away win
Bayern head to Gelsenkirchen looking to end a run of five straight Champions League games away from home without victory. However, Shakhtar have won three of their last four home fixtures in the competition, albeit by tight margins (1-0 vs. Barcelona, 1-0 vs. Royal Antwerp, 2-1 vs. Young Boys).
High press to success
Bayern’s approach since Kompany took over in the summer has been to press high, play in an aggressive way and put the opposition under pressure. That approach is reflected in the stat that none of the other 35 teams in the Champions League this season have managed as many high turnovers as the Bavarians (72). In addition, only Manchester City at 50.4 metres have averaged winning the ball back further from their own goal than Kompany’s men (49.3 metres).
Another 1-0 win
Bayern’s last two Champions League games have brought vital 1-0 wins at home against Benfica, who FCB face again in next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, and Paris Saint-Germain. Victory over the French champions was Bayern’s 34th 1-0 win in the Champions League era – the most of any club since the competition was created in 1992.
Topics of this article