Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City Champions League Odds
The second leg of a Champions League tie is always an interesting proposition, especially when the first leg was as one-sided as the tie in question. Munich have every chance of winning the second leg, but doing enough to win the tie and advance to the semi-finals is a whole other matter. All odds provided by Sports Interaction.
Team
|
Moneyline Odds
|
Odds To Qualify
|
Total Goals (O/U)
|
Bayern Munich
|
+196
|
+900
|
O3.5 (+123)
|
Manchester City
|
+109
|
-4926
|
U3.5 (-159)
|
Draw
|
+303
|
|
|
Bayern Munich Odds
Despite the fact that they have reached the final eight in the biggest competition in European football, this has been quite a topsy-turvy campaign for the Goliaths of German football. They have been trailing Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for most of the campaign, though they recently got their noses back ahead with just six matches remaining.
Their form has been worrisome since they parted ways with up-and-coming manager Julian Nagelsmann last month. They lost to Leverkusen in the league, then had a massive win over Dortmund, then crashed out of the DFB-Pokal Cup to Freiburg before squeaking by Freiburg in their subsequent league matchup.
After that was the humbling defeat at the hands of Manchester City, which was followed by a draw to Hoffenheim, who currently sit 13th in the Bundesliga. Thomas Tuchel was a shrewd appointment to replace Nagelsmann, but the results have been a mixed bag so far.
In the first leg, Munich had their share of chances but lacked a clinical ruthlessness on the final ball that is uncommon for Bayern Munich. A scrap between Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane that left the latter with a fat lip following the game didn’t serve to inspire any more confidence in them either.
City were simply more physical than their opponents, and they were oozing a fair bit more quality in the final third as well, where they peppered Yann Sommer’s goal with nine shots on target to Munich’s four.
However, the match had been in the balance for 70 minutes and could’ve easily been tied before City put it away with two goals between the 70th and 76th minutes, so a big win is not out of the realm of possibility here despite what oddsmakers would have you think.
Manchester City Odds
A big reason for our belief that Munich is not totally out of this tie is the fact that we’re getting to the point in the Champions League competition where the dominant English side usually slip. Pep Guardiola’s team has tripped up in the quarter finals in three of the past five Champions Leagues.
They made the final two years ago, but fell to fellow English side Chelsea after a few curious tactical decisions from Guardiola took City away from their usual strategies. Then there was the epic semi-final collapse against Real Madrid last season. Manchester City make themselves seem invincible quite often—especially in recent weeks—but if anything proves the opposite to be true, it’s their Champions League track record.
It is the one trophy that continues to elude Guardiola’s City, which has won every other possible trophy once or twice or thrice. Bayern, meanwhile, has some real Champions League pedigree, having won the competition in 2020 with many of the same players still in the squad.
It’s hard to argue with City’s recent form, however. They have scored at least three goals in six straight matches in all competitions, averaging 4.5 goals over that stretch. They look unstoppable in the final third at the moment, which is why the over for this match’s total goals prop looks especially inviting.
Considering City’s recent goal-scoring record and the fact that Bayern will be chasing the game, which means they are liable to either score a few goals or leave the backdoor open for City, the over could be a smart bet. Those +123 odds certainly make the over a tough proposition to turn down.