You might start to think this is just normal. Bayern are in the last 16 of the Champions League for the 17th year in a row. They’ve played against Bayer Leverkusen over 100 times, and three times already this season. But then that special feeling starts to come through. That tingling sensation from excitement and confidence ahead of a magical night at the Allianz Arena.
Special European atmosphere
When Bayern host Leverkusen in Wednesday’s last-16 first leg, they’ll be able to rely upon a special kind of power. The incomparable push that a full Allianz Arena gives on European night. The best part of 75,000 people looking to drive the Bavarians forward and create a unique atmosphere that we’ve seen plenty of times before but we can never get enough of, can never simply call routine.
Four years unbeaten
The impact of all that is reflected in the stats. It’s been almost four years since Bayern lost a Champions League match at the Allianz Arena (3-2 vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020/21 quarter-final). That’s the longest run of any team competing in the competition this season, spanning 16 wins and five draws in Munich. The round of 16 has also helped bring the best out of the Allianz Arena crowd, with Bayern winning nine of their last 11 home legs at this stage of the competition (D1, L1) and scoring 41 goals.
Last-16 professionals
Bayern’s record in the Champions League last 16 is excellent in general. It’s the 21st time since the competition’s previous revamp in 2003/04 that they’ve been among Europe’s top 16 clubs. Only Real Madrid have reached this stage more often (22). The Bavarians have progressed in 16 previous seasons, failing to reach the quarter-finals only four times. That’s in contrast to Leverkusen, who’ve reached the last 16 only five times since 2003/04 and gone out at this stage on each occasion.
Extra motivation
Obviously the nature of this tie adds that little something extra as well. It’s not just the fact that it’s the first all-German fixture in the Champions League since the 2013 final at Wembley, but the fact that the on-field rivalry between the two clubs has grown in recent years. It was Leverkusen who ended Bayern’s 11-year reign as champions by winning the title for the first time in their history last year. FCB are also winless in six competitive meetings. The power of the Allianz Arena crowd should go a long way in helping to set that record straight on Wednesday and lay the foundation for progress to the quarter-finals.
The prospect of this first leg alone is enough to get the hearts of Bayern fans beating just that little bit faster, producing that first wave of nerves and excitement. Even after over 100 previous meetings with Leverkusen and countless knockout matches in the Champions League, there will never be anything normal about all this.
Read up on the facts ahead of the first leg:
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