Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.
Red Bull Salzburg will play host to German champions Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League playoff encounter at the Red Bull Arena, Salzburg. The game is slated for the 16th of February, but the kickoff time is 01:30 IST on the 17th of February.
Bayern travel to Austria as clear favorites to progress to the quarter-finals, and they are known for their ruthlessness when up against developing teams like Salzburg. The game promises to be exciting, as the Austrian champions are also known to play without fear in attack, and will test Bayern’s unconvincing defense.
Red Bull Salzburg have a great thing going for them this season. They sit top of the log on their league table, leading by 17 points. They have won 15 out of their 19 games so far, losing 1 and drawing 3. In that incredible run, they have scored 44 times and conceded 13 goals.
In the Champions League, Salzburg placed 2nd in a group that had the likes of LOSC Lille and Seville. They won 3, drew 1, and lost two of their 6 group stage fixtures, scoring 8 goals and conceding 6. Youngster Karim Adeyemi is their top scorer in the UCL, with 3 goals and 1 assist to his name this season.
For their team news, Bernardo, Onguene Jerome, Junuzovic Zlatko, Seiwald Nicolas, and Sesko Benjamin are sidelined with injuries and may be unavailable for selection when Salzburg hosts Bayern Munich.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men will be hoping to deliver a strong response to their 4–2 defeat at the hands of Bochum in the Bundesliga. They remain first on the log in the league, having amassed 52 points in 22 games. They have 17 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, and have scored a whopping 70 goals, conceding 25.
Bayern Munich’s form in the Champions League is on another level as they are only the third side, together with Liverpool and Ajax, to win their group with a 100% record. 6 wins out of 6 in a group that had teams like Barcelona and Benfica is no mean feat. The Bavarians even conquered in style, scoring 22 goals and conceding just 3. Robert Lewandowski, with 9 goals and 2 assists, is Bayern’s top scorer.
For their team news, Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, and Leon Goretzka may miss the game due to injury concerns.
Sportsbooks consider Bayern Munich to be heavy favorites to win this fixture. Salzburg to win is placed at 9.3 odds on the Melbet sportsbook, while a draw and a Bayern Munich victory are placed at 5.9 and 1.342 odds respectively.
On the Parimatch sportsbook, a victory for Salzburg is placed at 10.00 odds, a win for Bayern is at 1.31 odds, while a draw is placed at 5.90 odds. The Paripesa sportsbook places Bayern Munich to win at 1.342 odds, a draw at 6.1 odds, and a Salzburg victory at 9.3 odds.
Bayern Munich is a superior side compared to Red Bull Salzburg, surpassing them in quality in every position on the pitch. Bayern has shown some imperfections recently, especially in defense, and will most likely present Salzburg the opportunity to threaten their goal.
We expect an open contest, characterized by free-flowing attacking football. The victory is Bayern’s on paper, but we know football matches are not won on paper. Here are our tips for Red Bull Salzburg vs. Bayern Munich:
Bayern Munich had the largest goal haul of any side in the group stages, scoring 22 goals in 6 games, an average of 3+ goals per game. None of Bayern’s 6 games ended with less than 3 goals scored. Bayern’s defensive frailties also mean that Salzburg has a good chance of scoring in this encounter.
Also, from the H2H record between the two sides, they have met in 2 competitive fixtures. Bayern won both games, and a total of 12 goals were scored. Over 2.5 goals is available on the Sportsbet.io sportsbook at 1.39 odds.
Bayern are reeling from their league loss and will approach this game with a ruthlessness they are well known for. They won both halves in 5 out of 6 group stage fixtures and will look to attack this young Salzburg team early on.
We expect a flurry of goals, especially with Robert Lewandowski in red-hot form. Bayern Munich to score in both halves at 1.73 odds is available on the sportsbook at Paripesa.
Red Bull Salzburg were handed a tough draw, no doubt, and while they will put up a good fight, Bayern Munich are huge favorites to win both legs of this tie. With Bayern’s current form in the Champions League, we can only hope it will not become a rout.
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